


Amalgaverse Effect

by ShepardisaBOSS



Series: Amalgaverser Saga [2]
Category: Bleach, Halo, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mass Effect, RWBY, Transformers: Prime, X-Men Evolution, Young Justice
Genre: Death, Epic Battles, F/M, Harems, Multi, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-19 23:31:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 114,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3628335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShepardisaBOSS/pseuds/ShepardisaBOSS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Waking up in another world, I find myself with mysterious powers, relentless enemies, and no memory as to how I got them. Will I be able to help break the cycle, or fall victim to it's cruel design? Either way, things are about to get very interesting! Rated M for violence, language, and much later mature scenes. OC/Tali/Harem. Multiple crossovers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Every Beginning has an End

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: I'd just like to start by giving thanks to the authors of my favorite self-insert stories of Mass Effect; GIRLIKESTACOS, claihm solais, VanguardThorne, you guys rule! I decided to dedicate this self-insert to them (especially GIRLIKESTACOS). Secondly, I'm aware that the beginning can be slow to get into the ME universe, but trust me, it will get there, so please bear with me.
> 
> Also, I have decided to do a bit of editing for this chapter. To those of you who have read this before, you'll know it when you see it.
> 
> Finally, I would just like to say that I DO NOT OWN MASS EFFECT! As much as I would like to, it is the property of Bioware.
> 
> (P.S., to those who don't wish to spoil the stories that take place before this, READ NO FURTHER! If you do, then that's simply your choice.)
> 
> And now, without further delay, let us begin…

**AMALGAVERSE EFFECT**

* * *

**( _An image of the Sun- the Sun of the Sol System- fades into existence, several areas of the planet lit up in flames. A titanic, mechanical figure is beginning to fall down to the burning star, catching fire as it enters the gravitational pull_ )**

They say that in space, no one can hear you scream.

Well, they can sure hear you when you're in a room on a space structure. Especially one that is currently on a collision course with the Sun.

And I'm smack dab in the middle of it.

**_(Inside the mechanical titan, the floor of the control room- massive in size, yet shattered in many areas- is strewn with the bloodied, beaten and broken figures of two men. One is wearing dark clothes and armor, lying face down on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The other is a person with much lighter clothing and armor, and is missing his left arm. Both figures are bleeding profusely, only the latter figure remaining conscious- or_ alive, _for that matter- through sheer willpower_ )**

The guy that's still (barely) conscious? That's me. The reason I'm like this, is because of the other guy I'm with is someone I was fighting against. The closest thing to a God of destruction. Obviously, he and I fought.

Which lead- again, obviously- to the state I'm in right now.

And in the state I'm in right now, I know I'm about to die.

Funny thing is, though...I'm okay with that. Maybe its because of the events in my life. I mean, I've garnered a lot of titles over the years.

Superhero.

Freelancer.

Soldier.

Godslayer.

Huntsman.

Spy.

X-Man.

Protector.

Official Autobot.

The First Human Prime.

Wizard Saint.

War Hero.

Shinigami.

Espada.

Revolutionary.

Savior.

The Second Split Avatar.

Messiah.

Ranger.

Lover.

Husband.

Father...

Yeah, out of all of those titles, I'd say- without a doubt- that the last two are the ones I'm most proud of. Even as I fall to my certain doom, too tired to even move a finger, I wonder if I would've really been a good father if I had more time to see them grow.

But if there were any indication, I like to think that I probably would've done great.

Well, it looks like my time's almost here. And if I really am going to die, at least the last thing I think about is the people that matter to me the most. As well as the look on that arrogant fuck's face as he got his pretentious ass kicked.

Priceless.

**( _From the figure's perspective, the world around him is becoming darker and darker by the second as flames continue to lick the viewing port of the room. His eyes becoming heavy, a telltale sign that he isn't long for this realm_ )**

Now, they also say that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. This seems to be the case. However, what they don't say is that for things you don't want to particularly focus on, those parts just pass you by. But my attention goes to one memory in particular. From there, my entire journey in this new world plays out. From there, the story unfolds.


	2. Prologue, Pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, upon the suggestion of Blackholelord, I'm eventually going to rewrite this chapter in order to try and make it better than it was before. I'm going to have a bit of help from BioshockerN7, who was kind enough to give me some ideas to use. Therefore, I want to give a shout out and say thanks to my fellow fanfiction author.
> 
> Also, I want to point out that this story WILL start off a bit slow, but I promise that it WILL ALSO pick up soon. So please, all I ask of you, my fellow readers, is to be patient and enjoy the story.
> 
> Now before I can get started, I wish to get this out of the way. The Author's Note: I DO NOT OWN MASS EFFECT! It is Bioware's property. If I did own Mass Effect, you can bet I'd try and give Mass Effect 3 a much more satisfying ending.
> 
> With that out of the way, let's begin...

_Unknown POV:_

* * *

 

The sound of a rocking explosion woke me from my nightmare, something I appreciated.. A blinding white light hit me as I opened my eyes, causing me to close them instinctively.

_"Atlas. Atlas, are ya awake?"_

The voice on the intercom was female, and she sounded honestly concerned. Hell, worried more like.

As my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I found myself in what appeared to be a laboratory, filled with operating equipment and God knows how much tech. I sluggishly got up from what I now saw to be an operating table when I found an IV in my arm. I slowly removed it, which caused me great discomfort.

_"Atlas, if ya can hear me, press the blue button by the door."_

Upon hearing this, I looked around for a door, then headed over to a keypad built into a scanner. As my thumb pressed down, a high-pitched beeping filled the room, which caused me to wince in pain. Obviously I had yet to adjust my senses.

The voice sighed in relief.  _"Oh, thank the maker. I thought they'd finally got t' ya. Okay Atlas, listen up because I'm_ _not_ _repeatin' myself. There's some armor I had specifically designed for ya. Head to the locker on the other side of the room an' put it on. I'll try t' buy you some time. When yer fully suited up, press th' button again"_

As I groggily walked to the locker, I took the time to realize that the voice had an accent to it. It was European, possibly Scottish. I couldn't tell due to a) the distortion the intercom was creating and b) my senses were still out of whack. What I could tell was one thing: from the way she was speaking to me, coupled with the rumbling that woke me up, she was obviously in danger. Which meant I was also in danger.

At this realization, I quickened my pace and opened the locker. Inside my sight was immediately drawn to a golden helmet, with the eye holes holding tinted glass. For some reason, there was no mouthpiece. The rest of the armor was white, with light blue accents tracing the armor. In the middle section of the chest plate was a vibrant gold stripe curving downwards from the top, along with the gauntlets and boots. After 30 minutes of struggling to get the armor on properly, I noticed two unusual items in the locker.

The first item I took out was a golden metallic rod about 14 inches long with a small blue switch on the side. I shrugged and placed it in a narrow compartment on my right thigh, obviously designed to hold the rod. After taking out the second item, I noticed that it was a golden disc about 18 inches in diameter, with a high tech glove-like device attached to it. I placed it on my left arm, and found something that put a light in my eyes and a grin on my face: a freaking  **grenade launcher** , complete with additional ammo. I immediately noticed that the launcher was golden, with white lines accentuating the bad-ass weapon.

 _Geez,_  I thought,  _someone **really**  likes the color gold. Oh well, at least I have something to shoot with._

After I placed the ammo into the heavy launcher, I pressed the blue button again. This earned me another cringe worthy beep.  _'_ _Okay, maybe my senses were heightened. That would definitely explain why that_ _ **STILL FREAKING HURTS!'**_

" _Well you sure took yer sweet time! Look, I don' have a lot o' time, so I'll have t' give you th' short story. Yer in a secret research facility, strictly of th' books. You can tell by th' rumblin' however, that we've been discovered, possibly by an enemy of ours. This person had someone hack into our defense network an' made the security drones go bloody bonkers, shootin' anything that has a pulse."_

As I heard this, my eyes went wide with shock. These people were being attacked. By fucking  **robots.**   _'God, what is this, the world of **Terminator?!** …actually, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.'_

" _Now,"_ she said,  _"it wouldn't be fair t' throw you out there with jack shit of a clue on what t' do, so I'll explain th' items that no doubt confused you. Th' rod's an experimental energy sword, capable of cutting through kinetic barriers like a hot knife through butter. Th' discus on yer arm's also experimental tech, a cyclonic energy shield. Theoretically, it should be able t' take a Mass Accelerator round from a dreadnought an' still maintain integrity."_

At that point, I was officially weirded out.  _ **'WHY**  in the  **WORLD**  would I need a freaking sword and shield against freaking  **ROBOTS**?! Granted, these tools do sound completely and totally bad-ass, but you get my point.'_

" _Also, th' pistol an' grenade launcher pack one helluva wallop, so be sure t' have a good grip, an' use_ _both_ _o' yer hands when holding 'em. Unless, o' course, you like havin' dislocated shoulders,"_ she said with a playfully sarcastic tone.

_'Wait a minute, did she say pistol?'_

I turned around and looked in the locker again. There wasn't a handgun to be found anywhere. If she still thought the gun was here, that meant someone took it from the locker... **before**  the attack started.

_'Great. Just. Fucking! **GREAT!**  Now someone is running around with a super-powered pistol with possibly no idea how powerful the recoil is. Even worse, this person could be the one who started the attack, and he/she does know how to use it.'_

" _Th' door should be open now, so follow th' glowin' arrows, they'll lead ya right t' th' hangar so we can git th' fuck outta here. Also, press th' button on th' right side a' yer helmet, it'll activate yer scanners and HUD. Wouldn't wanna walk into a fight blind, would ya? Good luck, Atlas. Kerry out!"_

_'So, her name's Kerry, huh. I wonder if her face is as cute as her voice. If so, I just know I'm gonna be stuttering around her like-'_

***BOOM***

The sudden explosion rocked the entire room, snapping me out of my train of thought.  _'_ _Right. Focus, Atlas, focus...I really hope that's just a codename, even if it's really cool sounding.'_

As I holstered the launcher on my back and stepped outside the lab, I pressed the button on the helmet, allowing my HUD to appear in the bottom right corner of my vision and a display for my shield energy to appear on the top. As I walked down a hallway, a thought suddenly hit me:

_'I don't remember my own name. I don't remember anything about my life before today, except for vague images and clear bits and pieces.'_

I came to the end of the hallway, and immediately heard noises from the other side of the door. My HUD displayed two blue dots and a lot of red dots. Clearly not a good sign. I walked through, and was greeted with a sight that didn't surprise me at all: a firefight.

In a rather large lobby, I found two guys huddled behind a chest high wall as a group of security robots emptied their clips at them. The mechs, stark white with a singular red "eye," were so focused on the two behind the wall that they didn't even notice my arrival.

Backing away slowly, I closed the door as I let out a huge breath. "Yeeeaaaaaahhh,  **fuck**  that. No way am I going out there and living."

As soon as I said that, I took cover behind the entrance and unhooked the rod.

Holding both ends away from me just in case, I pressed the switch and the top of the left side split perfectly in half, instantly creating a beam of sky blue energy in the shape of a double-edged blade. This made me jump back a bit from shock, which quickly dissolved into a fan boyish excitement, with the grin to match.  _'_ _Oh, man. This is **bitchiiiiing!'**_

My moment was ruined, however, as the mech charged me, causing me to stumble back a bit and swing the sword at it. I managed to graze its face a bit, though I think that only made it madder. It lunged at me, causing me to fall back and narrowly miss having my head taken off.

Acting on my newly-discovered "Fight or Flight" instincts, I thrust the sword forward and pierced the mech's chest. Sputtering and twitching, I slowly reached for my head before I pulled out, causing it to fall to the floor. For good measure, I swung the laser blade down and cut the synthetic's head clean off. In a brief shower of sparks, the mech was now offline for good.

I was breathing heavily at that point, the adrenaline pumping through me now beginning to dissipate. Looking down at the sword, it hit me that this thing was able to kill the mech with no trouble. I then wondered what

I then closed the gloved hand slowly, from pinkie finger to thumb. After making a fist, the disc hummed to life and split apart, energy expanding to create a shield that reminded me of a Gungan energy shield, except the top was straight, the bottom was pointed, and the energy was the color blue instead of purple.

_'Yeah, okay, I think I'm starting to like this stuff.'_

Breathing returning to normal, I began to plan things out. I figured that if a n00b like me could wreck a mech like that with little problem- especially since I had some top of the line equipment- I probably had a chance to help those two. I just needed the right moment.

***BOOM***

An explosion rocked the next room, causing me to stumble a bit and accidentally open the door. I was greeted with the sight of a bunch of mechs laying in pieces thanks to an explosive device, the others either blown back or dazed.

_'Well, now's as good a time as any, I guess. **HERE GOES NOTHING!'**_

Taking full advantage of this opportunity, I leaped out from behind the door, charged toward the mechs and screamed at the top of my lungs a battle cry that came from a sudden flash from my past. A battle cry from a television show that just seemed to fit this moment oh so well.

**"BOOYAKASHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

At that point, the mechs turned towards me, but it was too late. I slammed the shield across the closest one's face area, stunning it long enough for me to drop my blade right into its metallic head, splitting it open like a watermelon. A shot then grazed past my head, which forced me to spin my shield around and put myself on the defense. This, however, bought the other two guys the chance to open fire on the rest of the bots.

Quickly noticing one of the mechs aiming a sniper rifle in the general direction of the two, I thought fast and threw my sword right at its face, quickly ending the would-be sniper. I immediately started running to reclaim the blade when another mech droped in front of me. This one seemed a bit bulkier compared to the other mechs, and was differently colored from the other mechs, which were mostly black with patches of white and yellow stripes. Its most defining feature was on its face, having four "eyes" instead of one.

Unfortunately, I learned it was also faster, as it quickly took out a shot gun and closed the distance between us instantly. I shielded myself from the widespread shots, but the robot immediately generated an orange energy blade from its arm and lunged at my stomach.

I barely managed to dodge it, though it managed to make a small cut in my right side. Rolling aside, I sprinted toward the mech with my sword in its head as fast as my legs could go. I heard the advanced mech gaining on me, and I quickly lunged forward and wretched the blade out, with barely enough time to turn around to face the killing machine. After another brief flash of memories, I then stepped forward and proceeded to turn its head into a scrap iron shish kabob.

As I breathed heavily, I let the defeated robot fall to the floor beside me. In a sudden burst of adrenaline, I burst out as big of a whoop as my vocal cords would allow and fist pumped the air. Before I fell flat on my ass, due to losing balance. As I got back up on my feet, I realized that I was not alone.

I slowly turned my head to the left and found the two guys I saved, most likely staring in awe at what I had done and humor at my sudden fall. As one of them stepped forward, I quickly straightened up in embarrassment and took a good look at him. The man wore a black trench coat over black armor with a skeletal design on the chest plate. His leather mask, covered by a black hood, was patterned to look like a skull, with red lights glaring from the eye holes.

_'Okay, if this guy is trying to pull of a Grim Reaper look, then all he's missing is a-'_

He then pulled a large energy scythe out of one of the metallic corpses, earning a chuckle from me.  _'_ _Oh man, this is **hilarious.'**_

"Okay," said the man I decided to label 'Reaper,' "that had to have been one of  **the**  most bad-ass, close combat kill I've  **ever**  seen." His voice was stern, yet compassionate. From his accent, I assumed he was from the Middle East. "Where did you learn that?"

The other man, clad in black with grey gauntlets, boots, and a big orange X on his chest walked up to his partner. He wore a mask that looked like a cross between an  _Army of TWO_  helmet and Deathstroke's mask. Strapped to his back was an actual  **broadsword**  and an assault rifle, holstered to his side was an SMG, and he had a leather pouch that held a bunch of grenades.

"Are you kidding me? He pulled that move straight out of  _Attack the Block!_  Granted, it was still a bitching kill, but still! I will give you props for it though,  **totally**  bad-ass. However, you would have been seriously fucked if you missed that Rampart mech's head."

"My God, Deadpool. Please. Try not to psyche him out when we're trying to escape here alive!" exclaimed 'Reaper' annoyingly. At that, Deadpool instantly fell silent. Apparently, 'Reaper' was the one who was in charge of the duo. "Sorry about my partner, he just doesn't know when to just shut his pie hole."

I nodded my head in agreement. Something told me that I would disturbingly get used to this guy's nonstop chatter if I hung around him long enough. Either that or snap and put his decapitated head on a spike.

"No problem," I said. "I'm just glad that I was able to save you guys. Who are you, anyway?"

Deadpool immediately lightened up and said in a jovial manner "We, my good sir, are two highly famous mercenaries. We are strictly moral driven, meaning we don't take on jobs that conflict with our morals. This includes wanton killing, torture, protecting corrupt people, using biological weapons, murdering innocent people, and/or hate crimes. Anyone has a problem with that, we slice of their limbs and feed them to a varren. If the job we take on is for a noble cause, we work for free. Which is what lead me and my friend to this job."

Before they could say anything, I saw one of the walls open up, revealing an enormous mech, easily twice, maybe three times bigger than the other mechs. It raised its arms, both being cannons, and took aim at 'Reaper' and Deadpool.

**"LOOK OUT!"**

As my cry rang out in the room, I pushed the two away and charged toward the heavy mech. I didn't have a plan to deal with the thing. I didn't know what to do. I simply focused on the mech, my only thoughts being that I was going to beat the living shit out of it.

Suddenly, I was surrounded with a brilliant golden light, and I lunged forward, the world flashing before my eyes. I suddenly crashed through 8 walls, which stopped my trajectory with an impact on the ninth wall and slide down, earning an audible grunt. As I opened my eyes, I looked straight at the mech and immediately noticed my handiwork. My handiwork being a big fucking hole where its chest used to be, followed with gaps where walls once stood. With a loud creaking, the mech fell dead to the floor.

I then limped back to where the Angels of Ruin stood, completely dumbstruck at my performance. 'Reaper' was the first to speak up. "How did you- that was- you just- and the- I don't-"

"You just tore through a YMIR mech and  **eight fucking walls!"** cried out Deadpool. "Plus, your biotics were  **golden!**  Just  **WHO**  the  **FUCK**  are you?!"

I smiled weakly and answered "I go by the name Atlas." Glancing at the carnage in my wake, I continued "As for the damage, that was  **uber**  bad-ass. And my  **what**  is golden? What are you talking about?"

Tilting their heads in confusion, I can tell the two are looking at me like I'm an idiot. "Your biotics?" answered Deadpool. "You know, the ability to influence dark energy with your fucking  **mind**?"

Now it was  **my turn**  to look at him like  **he's**  the idiot. Granted, he seemed to act like one, but still. Biotics only exist in- **  
**

_'...No. It can't be. Could it?'_

"Hellooooo? Anyone there?"

"Reaper's" words immediately shook me out of my stupor.  _  
_

"Sorry, I, uh, zoned out for a second. Could you repeat that, um...I'm sorry, but what's your name?"

That earned another groan from him. "My name's  **Malak.**  While on the job, however, if you want to call me anything, call me Azrael. Now, as I was asking, I don't suppose you can explain what's going on, could you?"

I shook my head, replying "All I know is that someone hacked into this facility's security network and made the robo-mall cops here go bonkers. Other than that, I don't know much else. Hell, I don't even know where this place is."

Malak stroked his chin in contemplation, then looked at me. "In that case," he said, "you should probably stay close to us, seeing as we know our way around here. Do you have anything else to tell us?"

"Yeah, there was this girl, Kerry. When I woke up, she told me to head to the hangar to get out of here."

At hearing that, Deadpool spoke up in a serious tone. "Kerry? She's still alive?"

I nodded. "Alive, and somewhere in this place fighting off the mechs."

Deadpool then turned to Malak and jovially exclaims  **"HA!**  That's my girl! You owe me a drink, my friend!"

Malak shook his head in exasperation. "Yeah yeah, whatever. I swear, I don't even know why I make these bets with you."

"Because you're a glutton for punishment?"

...

...

...

...

"...Not the balls."

***THWACK***

**"OW!**  Thank you," he groaned, clutching the back of his head in pain. I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous about this.

_'If this is who I have to work with, I don't know if I'll be able to survive.'_

I coughed a little, bringing their attention to me. "So, um, maybe we ought to find a way out of here. As well as try and find this Kerry person."

"Last I heard she was somewhere in Block 3. Fortunately, it's on the way to the hangar, so we can kill two birds with one stone."

"Well what are we standing around for?" I exclaimed, "let's go!"

After I raised my shield and primed my sword, I ran off to the closest doorway. A few seconds later, I sheepishly walked back. "Um, where exactly is Block 3?"

One face-palm later, Malak motioned us to follow him. Before we could move even ten steps, a lift came up from the ground, bringing a trio rampart mechs and a YMIR mech up top. The synthetics primed their weapons at the sight of us, leaving me to say only one thing:

**_"Meep."_ **

Before the first shot rang out, we scattered and ducked for cover.

After flexing my left hand's fingers in reverse order, the shield deactivated. I then turned off my sword, allowing me to unlatch the grenade launcher and have it primed and ready by the time the YMIR mech is halfway next to me. I leaped out from cover, took aim, and pulled the trigger.

_**KABOOOOOOM!** _

The aftershock sent me flying across the room, resulting with a painful impact with a wall rushing to greet me. With a painful thud, I hit the floor. "Oooowww. Sonuva-"

As the blinding light from explosion dies down, I look at where the heavy mech once stood. My only thought at the sight was:

_**'** _ **_H_ _OLY MOTHER OF JESUS H. TAP DANCING CHRIST!'_ **

The colossal robot's upper half was completely incinerated, the only traces of its torso being smoldering scraps of metal laying around its scorched legs. The heat from the explosion was so intense that there was not only scorch marks on the floor five feet wide in radius, but there was still residual heat lingering in the air.

With a look of awe from the sheer power of the heavy weapon, I silently decided to christen my grenade launcher  _Morning Glory._  It had a nice ring to it.

My joy was cut short as a rampart mech arose next to me. I tried to reach for my sword, but my shoulder experienced a sudden jab of pain, refusing to move. I then mentally kicked myself in the ass as I remembered Kerry's warning:  **USE BOTH HANDS WHEN USING THE GRENADE LAUCNHER.**

* * *

_Malak's POV:_

* * *

As I recovered from the sudden explosion, I groggily allowed myself a rare moment to curse. "What the  **fuck**  was that?!" I then remembered Atlas raising what looked like a golden grenade launcher at the YMIR. I then mentally strangled the gold and white armored warrior.

_**'** _ **_This_ ** _is why I hate explosives, launch able or otherw-'_

My train of thought was cut short as I looked up and saw a rampart mech standing over Atlas, priming its shotgun.

"Oh crap."

With this, I jumped up and unlatched the four foot long metal pole from my back and press down on a button. The rod quickly extended to 10 feet, with a curved, sickly pale blue blade generating from the side on the top. With  _Soul Breaker_ fully activated, I used a biotic Charge and launched myself at the rampart. As I leaped upward, I twirled my scythe around a few times before bringing the blade down to its neck.

I watched with grim satisfaction as the mech's head rolled to the floor. It was always fun to kill machines that couldn't think for themselves. However, this left me open long enough to allow a sudden burst of heat from the mech's body to overload my shields.  _'Well_ , _'_  I thought,  _'_ _isn't **this**  peachy?'_

Looking down at Atlas, I reach down to help him up. "You need a hand, my frie-"

A sudden pain sears through me. As I numbly look down, I see an Omni-blade protruding from my guts. Retracting from my body, I fall in pain to the floor. I look up and somehow know that I am finished, as the last two ramparts stand above me, one pointing a shotgun at my head.

I close my eyes, ready for the end.

* * *

_Deadpool's POV:_

* * *

There are times when I'm totally awestruck by how completely bad-ass Malak can be. His insta-kill on the rampart? Latest in a long line of moments.

Then there are times when I'm cruelly reminded that the man is mortal, just like the rest of us. The mechs getting ready to kill him were not helping me deal with that fact.

With the complete and utter destruction of the mechs filling my mind, my biotics flared up as I formed a lasso around the bots and pulled them towards me. The mech with the shotgun managed to pull the trigger before getting drawn backwards, but thankfully missed both Malak and Atlas.

Drawing my broadsword, I send my biotics surging through the blade, swinging the cleaving weapon to their heads with extreme prejudice.

**"BAAANZAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIII!"**

The mechs reduced to smoldering scrap, I re-sheathed my sword while walking towards my two comrades.

_'No one's going to kill my partner. Not while **I'm**  around.'_

* * *

_Atlas' POV:_

* * *

I watched in awe as Deadpool walked over to us like he  **didn't** just epically kill two rampart mechs. What really surprised me was that both he and Malak could both use the same powers I could, albeit their's were blue rather than my gold

"You two...are so... **BAD-ASS!**  That was arguably  **the**  most awesome thing I've seen in my amnesiac life!"

Deadpool looks up at this while applying medi-gel to Malak's wounds. "You're amnesiac?"

Scratching the back of my head, I replied "Yeah, I can't remember a whole lot from before I woke up in that lab."

Malak groaned. "Well, that's just fan- **tucking** -fastic. The guy we were hired to protect, and he doesn't even have any idea  _why_ he would need protection."

Even though he couldn't tell with the tinted eye holes, I was giving Malak the stink-eye. "You don't need to be such a dick about it man. I'm already hurting enough from shooting  _Morning Glory_ one-handed, I don't need you to make me feel worse."

At that, Malak looked down in shame. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get crabby. I lost quite a bit of blood from that stab wound."

The pool of blood at his feet confirmed his apology as genuine. "Hey, it's okay, man. To be honest, though, I thought girls got bitchy when they bled."

The room was filled with silence for 5 seconds. Then 10. After 15 seconds, we can't hold it in any longer and we laugh our asses off for a good 3 minutes. After getting our breath back (and after Deadpool applied another patch of medi-gel to Malak's wounds) and relocating my shoulder back to its proper spot, we set out again for Lab 15.

After 7 minutes of silence, I couldn't take it anymore. "Hey Ma- Azrael? I hate to be rude, but why do you use a scythe?"

He turned around and looked at me. "Because guns scare the shit out of me," he replied with a deadpanned answer.

Grinning like an idiot, I said "I guess  _Morning Glory_ didn't help to disprove your fears, huh?"

"Damn straight."

At that point, both Deadpool and myself broke out with laughter. Regaining my composure, I turned to Deadpool and asked "If you don't mind answering, what's your real name?"

He answered jovially "My name's Joseph Bronson, but everyone calls me Bronson."

I smirked a bit. "Good to know."

A shot grazed past my head, causing me to charge up my sword and shield in response. After Bronson took out his assault rifle and Malak activated his biotics, someone came out from behind a barricade.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot! It's me!"

The source of the Spanish accent came into our field of vision immediately after. He looked to be in his early 20's, with slicked back blond hair and a skin tone comparable to a surfer's complexion. The only visible flaw to be shown was a scar across his left eye. As he walked up to me, I noticed he was shorter than me, and I could remember that I was at least 5-foot-10.

"Dammit, Carlisle!" screamed Malak, "You could have killed him!"

"I'm sorry! I thought you were another pack of mechs. They've been coming here every other half-hour."

Believing we were safe, I put away my sword and said "It's cool, man. Just...try to look before you shoot next time. I only have  **one**  head."

"Duly noted."

Walking into the makeshift fort, Bronson asked "How are you guys doing?"

An large, older man, possibly in his forties, walks up to us. "Not so good, comrade. Only having one working gun and no grenades, we being lucky robots haven't be putting new holes in all our faces."

Okay, I hate playing into stereotypes, but at the moment, I'm going to assume the man speaking broken English is Anton.

"What do you mean by  _all_ , Anton?"

_'Wow, I was **right?'**_

Hearing this, a girl no older than 16, with silver hair, a snow-white complexion, and ice blue eyes limps over to us. From the look on her face, she seemed ready to just break down. "What my father means is that soon after Carlisle contacted you, another wave of mechs hit us. We used up all of our grenades on them, and we had to use two of our three guns as makeshift explosives. Before that, though, Rufus and Donald ran out to buy us time. They're...they-"

She did her best to hold back her tears, but it was in vain. Malak walked over and held her close. "I'm sorry, Alice. I'm so, so sorry." He sounded like he was close to the verge of tears, too, his trembling a tell-tale sign of the rage he felt against himself.

"I loved them, Malak. I loved them so much. I-I-"

"I know."

Nothing was left to hold back her sorrow. She just collapsed and cried, not caring who heard. The cry of someone who had their heart torn out. A cry of despair.

I looked around outside the fort and saw them. Two men, laying dead next to the remains of a rampart mech. The closer one, whose name tag read Rufus, looked to be about 25, with close cropped, bright orange hair, and a goatee to match. Judging from the way the mechs around him were wrecked and his bulging muscles, he had used his strength to tear the rogue robots apart before he succumbed to numerous gunshot wounds.

The other one, who I deduced to be Donald, looked to be of African-American descent, about 20 years old and had a small afro. He held in his hand a sharpened pipe, which he used to impale the mech's head as it had impaled him with on Omni-blade.

These two fallen warriors gave their lives to save the others. I may not have known them, but I will always remember that they died as heroes to protect their friends. To protect the woman who loved them.

Walking back inside, Bronson introduced me to everyone. "Well, you know Carlisle Ramirez, our second-in-command for this outfit. And you've just met Dr. Komarov and his daughter, Alice." Looking at her now, she seemed to have calmed down a bit. I couldn't help but feel her pain.

These three scientists, along with myself, Bronson, Malak, and possibly Kerry, were most likely the last survivors of this facility. As I turned around towards Carlisle, I noticed something about the gun in his hand.

"Let me see that gun, Mr. Ramirez."

He looked up at me, a glint of fear in his eyes. "What?"

I jaunted over to him and grabbed the gun out of his hand. It looked like a Desert Eagle .50 semi-automatic pistol, complete with a clip of 6 out of 7 bullets, the other bullet most likely being the one that grazed my head. The gun was colored gold, with light blue coloring the handle.

The final nail in the coffin was a symbol on the butt of the handle: a winged shield with a sun on it. The same symbol I found on the rest of my equipment.

I looked at the shivering Spaniard with a look of anger so fierce that it could probably make even Leroy Jethro Gibbs nod his head in approval. "Where did you get this gun?" I asked with hatred seething from my voice.

"Wh-what d-d-do you m-mean?"

I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him to the wall.  **"WHERE?!"**

At that, the room went silent. After 30 seconds of silence, I raised my gun at him and his eyes widened in terror. "Okay okay! I got it from your locker!"

"And exactly  **why**  did you take it?" I growled out. "I could've had a hell of an easier time fighting those mechs with this gun. Unless...you were hoping I  **wouldn't**  be able to fight them, perhaps? That I'd die trying to get out of wherever the hell I am?"

Bronson calmly walked up to us, his hand resting on his gun. "Carlisle," he began, "you better pray he's not saying what I think he's saying."

A few seconds later, he began chuckling. A chuckling that soon became full blown laughter. Laughter filled with madness.

 **"YOU MONSTER! YOU FUCKING MONSTER!"**  Alice tried to grab for Carlisle's neck, but Bronson held her back. Everyone began to act up. Anton screamed in his native tongue at the admitted murderer. It took every ounce of willpower to stop himself from letting go and joining her. Malak simply stood there in cold fury.

"So what if I'm a monster?" Carlisle asked, a cold smirk on his face. "I just tried to stop you all from making a huge mistake. You all think that you were trying to save an innocent life by fixing him up?" he continued, gesturing at me as he finished. "No. I was trying to end a **real**  monster. I never even would've  **known**  about the shit he did, if it wasn't for-"

***BANG***

A shot rung out, followed by a splatter of blood erupting from the back of Carlisle's worthless skull.

We all turned towards the source of the shot. In the doorway was a woman in her late 20's holding a pistol. She wore a set of black and gold armor (sans the helmet), which hugged her curves in a flattering manner. Her skin, the color of milk-chocolate, coupled with ruby-red irises (with a scar running across her left eye), seemed to radiate with unbridled fury. Her short cut, wild silver hair and snarling, silver lipstick-coated lips only helped to give her an air of anger.

"I'm sorry, Atlas. But the bastard deserved ta die fer what he did, and ya know it."

It was her accent that softened me up a bit. "You must be Kerry, I presume?"

At this she calmed down a bit. "Operative Kerry Lawson o' Cerberus, at yer service."

Upon hearing those words, my eyes widened as I recalled several things:

_Biotics._

_Cyclonic Energy._

_YMIR mechs._

_Mass Accelerator rounds._

**_Cerberus._ **

My suspicions were confirmed: I was in the world of  _Mass Effect._  And smack dab in the middle of a human supremacist, terrorist facility.

_'Fuck my life.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How's that for a first chapter?
> 
> Looks like things are starting to get interesting. With the knowledge that someone was specifically trying to kill him, the fact that he's in a Cerberus facility, and more specifically, he is in the world of Mass Effect, how will the mysterious Atlas react?
> 
> And when will he discover who he really is, and what he is supposed to do?
> 
> Anyway, please note that I do not own anything from Attack the Block, Army of TWO, or Mass Effect. I especially don't own the DC Comics character Deathstroke or Marvel's Deadpool. The only things I own are the original characters Reaper, Deadpool, and Kerry, as well as the armor designs and weapons my characters possess.
> 
> Please comment or review, but no flames. OR ELSE!
> 
> Also, kudos to anyone who can guess from where I pulled Booyakasha from (please note that I do not own anything from that show either).


	3. Prologue, Pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I do not own Mass Effect or the characters from the franchise. Also, идиот means idiot in Russian.)
> 
> ENJOY!

_Atlas' POV:_

* * *

For the probably umpteenth time in the past few hours, my mind was **totally** blown. The main reason for this occurrence? The fact that Kerry, the woman who saved my life, was an operative of Cerberus.

_**Cerberus.** _

The absolute last organization that I wanted to find myself in. With venom in my voice and eyes, I turned to face Bronson. "You could have  **told**  me that we were in a  **Cerberus**  facility."

That seems to get the everyone in the room looking surprised that I already knew Cerberus existed.

Bronson simply shrugged. "You never asked," he said sarcastically.

"Assclown."

"Hurtful, dude."

"And  **you,"**  I said to Kerry.  **"Why** in the great blue  **Hell** did you just kill him?!" At that last word, I pointed to Carlisle's dead body, blood pooling out of the new orifice in his head and onto the stainless steel floor.

Kerry shook off the look of shock and returned to an angry semi-scowl. "'Cause," she stated, "this man had ruthlessly murdered colleagues, friends, an' family. People whom we've all come ta trust over the past year, people we've all come ta love, dead because o' that piece o' garbage tried ta ruin what we were tryin' ta accomplish. He deserved death."

Her eyes shone with conviction in her words. She didn't regret what she had done. "Still though," I relented, "we should have taken him in to answer for his crimes. Carlisle did deserve to die, even he knew that, but now we won't know if anyone hired him to play assassin. And if so, why try to kill only me?"

"Perhaps," said Kerry, "it's best if the boss explains things."

I looked at her with mistrust in my eyes. Deciding to play even more of my hand, I revealed a bombshell in the form of a question. "Answers or no answers, why would you believe that I'd willingly go to the Illusive Man?"

Once again, the room enters a state of shock. "How you be knowing of Illusive Man?" asked an incredulous Anton. Understandable. Only those in Cerberus (or those with really,  **really**  good sources of information) even knew the existence of the Illusive Man.

I decided to go with the latter. "Let's just say that I have my sources and leave it at that."

Everyone looked at me suspiciously. Kerry decided to break the ice at this point. "Very well. But now we need ta find a way to the hangar."  _Dang, her voice sounds like velvet mixed into the growl of a tigress. From that alone, I could guess she could kick even a Banshee's ass in one-on-one._

_Mental note: do **not**  get on her bad side._

"Owww..."

"What was that?" asked Malak.

Determining the source to have come from outside, I hurried out to see a sight that set my heart into joyful overdrive: a groaning Donald and Rufus, barely breathing but alive.

"They're alive," I quietly said. Running back into the fort, I excitedly screamed " **THEY'RE ALIVE! DONALD AND RUFUS, THEY'RE STILL ALIVE!** "

A second later, Alice ran outside with the rest of us close behind. Exiting the fort, we found Donald struggling to get the fallen mech off of him. Noticing us after pulling the mech's Omni-blade out of himself, he looked at us and said in between breaths "So...what did we miss?"

"Hopefully," replied a worn out Scottish voice, "enough to say the worst is over." Rufus looked at us with a shit-eating grin on his face and said "Right?"

**"DON! RUFUS!"**

With those words escaping their mouths, Alice ran over to the two of them and pulled them into a hug that made them wince in pain. Tears of joy freely flowed down her face as she cried and held them tightly, afraid that if she let go, she would lose them again. Anton merely stood there, confusion plastered on his face.

"How?" asked Anton. "How you breathing? I checked both your vitals. You should both be pushing up your roses."

"It's  **daisies,**  Anton," replied Rufus as he held his son. "And to be honest...we  **were**  dead."

At that, the room fell silent with confusion. Bronson broke the silence and said with a brain dead voice "Ummm... **wha?"**

"Don't know how to explain it," said Donald as Kerry got out some medi-gel, "but one minute we were on the other side. The next...a golden light shone in front of us. It was pulsating with emotions, as if it were alive. It blinded us, and then we were back he-  **OW!**  Watch it, Kerry!"

"Sorry. I'll  **try**  not ta put life saving medi-gel on yer wounds next time," she sarcastically replied.

 _Wait. A golden light? Could that have been me?_  I decided to shake that question off for now, refocusing my attentions to the two recently revived men. "Well, I'm just glad you're okay. Seems like your deaths really hit these guys hard."

Giving me a nod, the two of them were led into the fort. As soon as they saw Carlisle's corpse on the floor, Donald said "So it was him. Knew there was something I didn't like...about..."

He fell to the floor with Rufus close behind. Alice rushed over to check, but Kerry managed to calm her down. "Don't worry, they're fine. Just a reaction ta the blood loss." Putting a red gel-like substance on their chests, she said "There. That should stabilize 'em fer now."

"But what do we do now?" asked a nervous Alice.

"We get the Hell outta here," replied Kerry, who then walked over to a console and pressed a few buttons, resulting in the room becoming bathed in flashing red lights. "There," she said _,_ "I've started the facility's self-destruct sequence. We have twenty minutes ta get ta the hangar an' scram."

"Right," I nodded. "Anton, Deadpool, you carry Rufus."

"And you and I will help carry Donald," Malak said as he helped me with him. "I just hope we don't run into any more trouble."

"Don't worry," I said, thankful for the support. "With all the mech corpses we saw on the way here, I think the worst is behind us."

* * *

_**12 minutes to self destruct.** _

**"What was it you saying about worst behind past of us, идиот?!"**

As soon as Anton screamed this, another rocket from one of the YMIR mechs launches past us.  **"So I made a mistake! Sue me!"**  I punctuated that last part with a quick report from my Desert Eagle, the round hitting the heavy mech right in the "face," causing it to fall to the ground dead.

Just so you know, it was  **not** my intention to lead us into a room filled with  **15** heavy mechs,  **45** LOKI security mechs, and  **7** rampart mechs. I had honestly believed that every mech in the base was destroyed, but this firefight proved me wrong. However, between Bronson's anti-synthetic rounds firing from his Mattock assault rifle, Malak's Warp attacks, Kerry's prototype biotic grenade launcher (which fired duds every other shot), and Anton's prototype minigun, we somehow managed to cut down the enemy count from 67 to 33 in three minutes.

 **"Kerry!"**  I yelled.  **"Get ready to open fire on my mark! Make sure it's a triple shot!"**

She nodded in understanding, instantly figuring out what I had planned. Loading up three rounds and attaching a triple shot barrel onto the launcher, I yelled out  **"Azrael! Deadpool! On my mark, we go in hand to hand!"**

Malak and Bronson look at me in confusion.  **"What are you-"**

 **"Ready!"**  yelled Kerry. At that, I placed Donald into a safe corner of cover and took out  _Morning Glory,_ priming it for a shot. I signaled to her to fire on the count of three.

 **"Everyone get down!"**  As soon as Kerry issued that command, everyone hit the deck as Kerry and I readied our shots.

"One…"

The mechs begun to close in.

"Two…"

They were almost on us.

**"THREE!"**

Kerry and I stood up, her firing a shot as I tracked the three grenades through the air. With determination, I cried out one word before firing.

**"BOOYAHKASHAAAAAA!"**

With a glorious gold and blue explosion and deafening  _ **BOOM**_ , the 33 mechs were brought down to 16, consisting of 13 LOKI mechs and 3 rampart mechs. Looking over our cover, I called out to Malak and Bronson that it's time to get to work.

Brining out my sword and activating my shield, I jumped off the top of the chest high wall and landed feet first on top of a LOKI, driving its head into the floor. Spinning around, I lobbed off the heads of two more of the security mechs as a rampart came charging at me. I raised my shield up just in time to block the mech's Omni-blade from crashing into my skull.

Pushing the arm upward, I'm able to give myself enough of a window to try and use my golden biotics to kick the mech into pieces. However, I only managed a regular kick in its chest, sending it stumbling backwards. I looked at it in confusion.  _'_ _What the…why didn't my biotics work?!'_

I was brought out of my stupor from a shotgun round to the chest. As the blast sends me flying backwards, I was thankful that Kerry was able to show me how to activate my armor's shield generator. If I didn't have it up, that shot would've torn my chest wide open. Landing with a thud, I struggled to regain my footing. The rampart mech charged forward with Omni-blades produced, ready to skewer me.

One eye-blink later, Malak's scythe swung through the mech's face, leaving the steel cadaver to land next to me just as it discharges heat.  **"OW!"**  I screamed.  **"YOU COULD HAVE JUST KILLED IT WHEN IT WAS STANDING STILL, ASSHOLE!"**

"True. But if I did, I wouldn't see you get burned."

_'Oh, he did **NOT** just say that. Mental note: get back at Malak for this.'_

The sight of the top half of a LOKI mech flying our way caused us to turn to Bronson's direction. He's currently wielding both his Mattock  **and**  his broadsword, the scene making him look like a pirate.  **"COME ON, YA SCALIWAGS! HAVE A TASTE O' ME SWASHBUCKLIN' AWESOMENESS!"**   _Okay, now he's just pushing it._ However, considering the fact that he decimated many of the mechs with his antics, I was willing to cut him some slack.

**Some.**

A thought dawned on me. "Wait, where are the other LO-" Malak pointed me into the direction of several minced-up mechs, their cuts sill smoking from the scythe. "Whoa. Well, shit, you work fast." I couldn't tell through his skull mask, but I'm sure he was smiling.

"If yer all finished," exclaimed Kerry, "we really need ta get ta the hangar.  **Now!"**

I checked the timer on Malak's Omni-tool.

_**Nine minutes to self destruct.** _

At that, I ran over to retrieve Donald, and we all proceed to run like the dickens to the hangar. We eventually reached a large room, with a door on the far side with one word printed on the side.

HANGAR.

As we broke out into a sprint, I checked my HUD for any hidden enemies. I stopped in place as I look at the red dot on the screen: it's large. At least four times the size of a regular dot. And it was right below us.

 **"EVERYONE, STOP!"**  As these words left my mouth, we all froze in place at the sound of large creaking.

A few seconds later, the floor began to open up, revealing two large, red, robotic eyes below. A three-fingered metal hand reached from the depths, its hands stark white, thick, and curved. Rising from below was the rest of the machine, its head modeled after a medieval knight's helmet. It's torso held a large, circular device. I wouldn't be surprised if the thing was a laser cannon. Raising its other arm, which resembled a cannon from a star fighter, it placed its curved feet upon the platform. As it stood up, I realized that it was probably two, maybe three stories tall. And that I never saw anything like it in the Mass Effect trilogy.

**AT ALL!**

"Would someone care to explain  **WHAT IN THE GOD DAMNED GALAXY THAT IS?!"** Bronson screamed out in shock.

"It is Titan mech, prototype coming from Cerberus HQ. They sending it here for fixing few of glitches in programming," Anton nervously explained.

I look at him in exasperation. "What  **kind**  of glitches?" I ask, thinking I wouldn't like the answer.

"It always killing everything in sight."

_Yep. Definitely don't like that answer._

"Any ideas?" I asked nervously.

"I have one," states Bronson. As he let go of Rufus, leaving Anton to carry all the weight, Bronson ran away screaming  **"RUN LIKE A LITTLE BIIIIIIIIIITTTCCCHHHHH!"**

_**"HOSTILES DETECTED. EXPLETIVE: DIE, MOTHERFUCKERS."** _

As it unleashed a torrent of laser fire, I couldn't help feeling the urge to want to wash that thing's mouth out with a bar of soap. I looked past my cover.

_A_ _**BIG** _ _bar of soap._

Deciding to take another shot at my gold biotics, I set Donald safely behind the pillar and jumped out. With determination, I thrust my arm out to create any biotic power…

Two things went through my mind simultaneously. The first was confusion, as I had failed again to create the golden biotics. The second thing was a desire to kick my own ass, as I was out of cover and right in the line of sight of the Titan. I tried to run back to cover, but the Titan fired a round at my position.

_'Oh shit.'_

_**KABOOOOOOMMM!** _

The heat and shockwave from the explosion sent waves of pain through my body as I flew through the air. The explosion also did a good job of singeing my armor and blasting off half of my helmet. As the ground rushes up to greet me, I immediately begin to fall out of consciousness. Before the darkness takes me, I watched as Bronson, Malak, Anton and Kerry attempted to fight the monster.

* * *

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

* * *

As I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was bright light all around me, with a sensation of warmth surrounding my body.  _Wait,_  I thought,  _bright light?_

My eyes shot straight open and I jumped up to my feet. My eyes immediately adjusted to my surroundings, and I could make out that I was in a cloud like substance with streams and waves of golden light accentuating the area.

"Oh. My. God. I'm dead. I'm really, really dead."

" _Not exactly."_

I spun around, looking for the source of the voice. The same voice that told me to make the choice to bring Donald and Rufus' bodies with me. "Who's there?! Show yourself!"

Immediately, a figure of light purple light appeared. The figure appears feminine in form, with purple light for hair cut short except for two bangs framing her face.  _"I'm sorry. I forgot that I need a visible form to properly communicate here. Sorry about that, Michael."_

I could tell that she was embarrassed by the way she was bowing her head. "Oh, it's okay. It was an honest mista-" My voice cut off as I caught what she said. "Wait. What did you call me?"

The woman of light looked up at me.  _"Michael. That's your name, remember?"_

She immediately noticed that my face had a look of shocked gratitude on it. After a few seconds, I spoke so softly, only she could hear it. "Michael." I gave out a laugh of relief. "My name is Michael."

" _Oh, that's right! Amnesia is a side effect of- oh never mind, it's not important right now! Allow me to introduce myself. For now, you can call me Hikari, and I'm the one who helped save your life."_

"Hah?" I asked in a pure WTF state of mind. "What do you mean by that?"

A smirk formed on her face.  _"Sorry, can't tell you that right now."_  I suddenly grew the urge to punch something or someone in the face. Preferably Deadpool.

"Wait," I asked, deciding to get back on what she said earlier. "What did you mean by, 'not exactly' when I said I was dead?" At this Hikari looked at me with a look I could only assume is playful.

" _Because you're almost dead, silly."_

 _That's it. This day is **definitely**  my most fucked up day of my life. And I can't even remember what my life was_!

"What do you mean,  **almost**  dead?" I asked, barely keeping my sanity together.

Sensing how I'm feeling, Hikari answered  _"Sorry, can't tell you that right now. I'm only here at the moment to heal you, then teach you the basics."_

"Basics of  **what?!"**  My patience was starting to wear out.

" _Of how to re-use your powers. Unless you want to get blasted by the huge robot again, of course."_

I looked at her in silence. Suddenly my patience was rejuvenated.

* * *

_Bronson's POV:_

* * *

I literally froze in place as I watched Atlas fly through the air, his armor burnt beyond repair from the blast. I continued to watch in horror as he hit the wall with a sickening  **CRUNCH** and fell to the ground limply. He didn't move. Not even a twitch.

**"NOOOOOOOO!"**

Turning toward the mechanical monster, I joined in with Malak and Kerry as they charged into the fray. With little trouble, the Titan easily knocked us away with its enormous hands. Regaining my focus, I turned my attention to retrieving Atlas from where he fell.

 _He'll make it_ , I think to myself.  _He has to make it._

Running to retrieve him, I'm instantly blocked from my objective as a blast from the Titan mech's cannon knocks me backwards. Landing next to Anton, he pulls me safely away from the behemoth's sight. "Are you being crazy?!" he screamed. "You getting killed acting like invincible, charging out damning consequences!"

"But Atlas-"

"Hit at angle deadly enough to be breaking krogan's back," he interrupted. He then looks down solemnly. "I'm sorry, but he… he is gone."

I let it sink in, and look at where this mysterious warrior lay. He was trying to use his biotics when he was killed, he could tell that.  _'_ _He was able to use them earlier_ , I thought,  _so why couldn't he use them now? Why?!'_

" **LOOK OUT!"**  Malak cried. Reacting as fast as by mortal coil could, I simultaneously looked briefly at the Titan mech as the opaque cavity in its chest lit up with a sickly red light while running for cover.  ** _'_ _ **R** eally?!'_** I thought as I ducked behind a pillar with Malak in tow. ' _The thing has a freaking_ _ **CHEST LASER?!'**_

A red beam of light shoots overhead, burning heat radiating from it. As it died down, I look to where it hit. A gaping hole about 10 meters in diameter stood where a section of wall once was. I let out a nervous laugh at the sight. "Well," I said, "haven't seen a hole that big-"

"Bronson, if you continue that 'joke,' I will rip your balls off and shove them down a vorcha's mouth," Malak calmly stated. He really hated it when I made jokes like that, good natured or otherwise. Normally I would continue the joke, but Malak scared the  **shit**  out of me when he used that tone of voice. He once got so pissed off he literally threw both an elcor  **and**  a krogan straight through a steel wall. The man was  **not**  to be fucked with.

Turning my attention back to the gigantic mech behind me, I drew out three grenades and primed them. Setting up the targeting system in my helmet, I aimed with deadly precision at the monstrosity's face area, draw my arm back, and let the grenades fly like a triad of discuses. Connecting with the 'face' instantly, I pressed a button on my Omni-tool and watched as the mech was knocked slightly backwards by the combined explosions. My feelings of joy quickly dissipated as the giant mech regained its footing and reached for me.

_'Well, guess this is it.'_

As quickly as I resigned myself to my fate, a golden light knocks the mechanical limb off course just enough to miss me. Turning ever so slightly, I gaze in marvel at the sight before me. A figure clad in fried gold and white armor, barely standing as pain shook across his battered body, had his hand outstretched in the direction of the Titan's arm. His body, fluctuating a brilliant golden aura, began to walk toward the enormous robot. His eyes, giving of a white glow, were set with determination.

 _ **"All right, metal head,"**_  spoke Atlas as he cracked his knuckles.  _ **"Round 2!"**_

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

I could barely believe that this was happening to me.

Here I was, standing down a giant of God knows what kinds of tech, with armor barely holding together and my hi-tech weapons completely wrecked from the explosion's heat. The only thing still working was my Desert Eagle .50, but there was only one clip left, and it was already in the gun. Something told me though that a single handgun wasn't going to bring the Titan down. Thankfully, I had my biotics successfully flaring up, ready to kick that metal motherfucker's ass. It seemed that what Hikari told me was working. My thoughts go back to what she said before I regained consciousness:  _"You aren't used to using your powers after a year of inactivity, so you can't use them for long without wearing yourself out. Therefore, be careful with them."_

I only had one chance to bring this sucker down, and that chance would disappear soon. Enough time to kick ass, take names, save everyone. With this in mind, I crouched down and ready my next attack. I then leaped forward, the world flashing before my eyes in a golden hue. I ended my Charge as I hit the mech square in the chest, destroying the chest blaster and sending sparks flying across the monster's body.

Hitting the ground, I began to unleash a torrent of Warps, Shockwaves, Throws, and Reaves, effectively whittling down the mech's shields and armor to nothing.

Leaping into the air, I charged up as much biotic energy into my right hand and screamed as I launched myself towards its head. With as much strength as I could muster, I threw my hand right down and watched as the biotically charged punch turned the mech's head into a shower of flames, sparks, and shrapnel. I pushed off of the mech's body and landed on my feet, watching with a smile as the remains fell back into the hole the mech crawled out of. Straining my ears, I smiled as I to listened to metallic corpse hitting the ground with a satisfying, metal scraping crash. Deciding to end things on that note, I deactivated my biotics and turned wearily to the stunned group of people I had saved.

"What?" I asked innocently. "Is there something on my face?"

_**2 minutes to self destruct.** _

That brought us back to reality. I ran back to where I left Donald, turned to see Bronson and Anton lift Rufus out of his safely hidden area, then ran to the hangar like my life depended on it. Granted it really did, but still. Kerry reached the door first, placing her hand on a DNA scanner that immediately unlocked the door. We ran through, headed for a shuttle, and piled in as fast as humanly possible. Anton quickly activated the controls and flew the shuttle toward an exit.

As the tunnel zoomed past the windows, Kerry looks at her Omni-tool, counting down the remaining seconds. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

A deep rumbling shook the shuttle as debris began to rain down. The rumbling grew and grew, a bright light accompanying it as it caught up to us. I looked out the window and my heartbeat quickened to 10 beats a second, watching as the flames began to lick at our shuttle.

 **"Everyone, be holding on to lunches and underwear! This going to being big one!"**  We all took Anton up on his advice and braced ourselves as the explosion shot us out of the tunnel and straight into an underground docking area. The shuttle crashed onto the ground, sent us jerking back and forth in our seats and crashing into each other's heads.

* * *

I forced my eyes open through the pain, finding myself lying on the floor of a room, Kerry standing over me. "Oh, thank Christ in Heaven," she sighed in relief. "I was worried I'd have ta explain why you ended up dead after we saved ya."

"Your concern is noted," I dryly remarked. "Where is everyone?"

"Deadpool and Malak are over there resting," She said as she pointed at a nearby wall. "I figured they needed it."

I nodded in agreement. "And the others?"

Her face became more solemn, looking over to the other side of the room. Turning my attention there, my heart sank as I saw four forms laying next to each other. All of them were covered by large sheets of cloth.

"They didn't survive the crash," she said remorsefully. Noticing my pained expression, Kerry turned my attention to her, a stern yet sympathetic expression on her face. "I'm sorry, Atlas. I really am. But ya need ta understand that no matter how hard ya try...ya  **can't**  save everyone."

Nudging Bronson and Malak's unconscious forms, the four of us wearily started walking to find an exit, with Kerry in the lead. About five minutes (and a helluva ton of stairs) later, we finally managed to reach the top. Before Kerry could open the door, a thought suddenly dawns on me. "Wait," I said, "Azrael, Deadpool, you two take point with me. No telling what we'll find on the other side of that door." The two nodded, with Bronson taking out his Mattock and Malak readying his scythe. I borrowed Bronson's SMG, a Kassa Fabrication M-12 Locust, and we aimed our guns at the door as Kerry prepared to open it.

With a soft hiss, the door slid open, revealing an empty lobby. A quick scan of the perimeter validated that we were alone. As we headed toward the door (which Kerry said would lead outside), Bronson patted me on the back.

"Don't worrying, Atlas.  **Now**  the worst is behind us."

A barrage of gunfire quickly proved him wrong, forcing Bronson and I to take cover next to the doorway. Malak and Kerry weren't so lucky, as they received a few good shots to their bodies before getting out of the way. After making sure they were okay, Bronson and I jumped into sight and unleashed a torrent of rounds onto the attacker, watching with pride as the blood flew from the figure as it hit the ground, giving an ear piercing screech as it died.

What caught my attention, though, was the sound the body made as it hit the floor. A metallic  _CLANG_. I took a closer look at the fallen figure: a metallic being with three fingers on each hand, a curved head, and a single eye. A single, flashlight eye.

My next words were soft-spoken, but loud enough for the others to hear. "It's a geth."

"Impossible," said Kerry as she walked forward painfully. "The geth haven't been outside the Perseus Veil in centuries. Why would they be here? On Eden Prime of all places?!"

My heart sank down to my gut. The world went silent as I asked "Wh-what...what  **year**  is this?"

Kerry scratched the back of her head before answering. "The year is 2183."

Suddenly, a dreadful thought entered my mind as I heard those words.  _'I'm in Mass Effect 1. In the middle of the geth assault on the colony.'_

Suddenly, three more figures came into view. I thanked the lord that both of them were human. As they walked towards us, I was able to make out that they were two men and one female. I instantly recognized the armor to be Onyx armor, with the female's armor bearing a red stripe running down the right arm and an N7 on the right side of her chest plate.

_'Oh. My. God. It's Commander Shepard. Commander Shepard is standing **right in front of me!**  Must...resist...urge...to enter...fan boy mode.'_

"What's going on here?" asked a confused Shepard. "And  **what**  in the blue blazes is  **that?** " she asked pointing to the fallen geth unit.

"That," I replied as calmly as humanly possible, "is the smoldering corpse of a geth that we just gunned down. And just so you know, it attacked us first."

"That can't be right," replied who I could only assume was Kaidan Alenko. "The geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly 200 years. Why are they here now?"

"Who cares?" asked Jenkins. "They're attacking the place I grew up on. I'm gonna make sure they pay!" It was almost invigorating how Jenkins practically felt invincible. Too bad he had to die, I might've liked the guy.

_Wait a minute...maybe he doesn't have to die._

"Ma'am, our group has wounded, and we're low on ammo. We can't defend ourselves for long. If you could spare one of your squad to help protect us, we could help you-" I paused, almost giving myself away, "-complete whatever mission you have on this planet."

She contemplated for a few seconds, then looked to Jenkins.

"Jenkins, stay here and help protect these two until we get back."

He looked at the commander with shock evident on his face. "But-"

"No buts, Jenkins. Being a hero doesn't always mean charging into a fight. Remember that and maybe you'll live longer." At that he half-heartedly agreed with her. "Alright then, who's coming with us?" I instantly stepped forward, and was quickly followed in suit by Bronson.

"Okay then," she sayid as she brandished her shotgun. "Our mission is to pick up a Prothean beacon before anyone else tries to take it, or worse, destroy it. If we find any survivors, direct them back to this point. Move out!" With that command, the four of us headed out, following the commander to the beacon.

* * *

During our excursion, I allowed myself to briefly wonder how much could change because I practically saved Jenkins' life. My train of thought was immediately cut short by the familiar sound of geth "speaking."

 **"LOOK OUT!"**  yelled Shepard.

Before I was able to duck to safety, a stray shot managed to hit me square in my right shoulder. Wincing in pain, I realized that the Titan mech's laser must have fried my shield generators.  _'_ _That's it! I fucking_ _ **HATE**_ _mechs!'_  A shot ricocheting off the rock brought me out of my internal rant long enough to take out my Desert Eagle and aim at the geth's flashlight face with my left arm.

Fun fact: trying to aim a handgun with one arm and having no shields (all while the enemy is shooting you with an assault rifle, by the way) was a real stress maker. Also, when that handgun happened to be a Desert Eagle brand gun, the recoil could be enough to dislocate your shoulder if you weren't careful. I had the pleasure of finding both of those out at once as I pulled the trigger. On the upside, I watched from the ground as that one shot tore through it's kinetic barriers and made its face explode in a flower of white "blood," sparks, and shrapnel.

Watching it fall to the ground, I felt a sense of accomplishment that quickly evaporated as the other two geth took aim at me. Shepard, Kaidan, and Bronson opened fire, only managing to kill one of the synthetics. As the other one prepared to gun me down, a torrent of gunfire brought the motherboard-fucker to its knees. I watched in shock and relief as the thing fell dead in front of me.

"Holy crap, are you okay?!"

Hearing this new voice made me turn my attention to a female figure clad in white and pink armor. Holstering her assault rifle, she hurried over to me. She saw my gun wound and immediately coated it in medi-gel. As the miracle gel began to dull the pain and stop the bleeding, I made a mental note to remember to find out who invented this stuff and go to their grave, just so I could thank them.

"There, you should be okay now. Just be sure to...wait, you killed a geth with  **that?"**  she said as she pointed to my Desert Eagle, all while having a look of shock on her face. I smiled at this, wincing as I reached to pick it up.

"Yes, yes he did. Thanks for saving him, by the way, miss..." said Shepard as she walked up to us. At the sight of the commander, she straightened up and saluted.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212! Damn good to see you, ma'am!"

"At ease, Chief," replied Shepard as she and Kaidan returned the salute. "What happened here?"

Relaxing from her salute, she explained the situation to us. As she mentioned her team, I noticed from the slight quivering in her voice that she was holding back tears.  _'_ _Makes sense_ , _'_  I solemnly thought to myself.  _'_ _She lost her entire squad to the geth. I wonder why Bioware never put this into the game? It would've-'_

"We could use your help, Williams," said Shepard, bringing me out of my thoughts.  _God, I hate it when that happens._

"Aye, aye, sir. It's time for payback." A gleam entered Ashley's eyes as she readied her gun. Not a good looking gleam, either. More like the ' _I'm going to stop at nothing for vengeance'_ gleam.

And so, the five of us headed out to the dig site, killing everything that was geth that stood in our way. I decided to hold on to Bronson's SMG until I could make spare ammo clips for my handgun, so I had to whittle down their shields before I could actually damage them. When we got to the dig site, Ashley's face lit up in shock as we found the dig site was missing its beacon. "What the...this is the dig site. The beacon was right here! It must have been moved!" she exclaimed.

"By who?" asked Kaidan. "Our side? Or the geth?"

"Chief, is there a research camp nearby?" I asked. "Maybe someone there might know where it went."

Ashley looked at me with a  _why didn't I think of that?_  look on her face. "Yeah, its just past the camp, right up this ridge. If we're lucky, someone might still be alive."

"We won't know until we check it out for ourselves," said a hopeful Shepard. "Move out, team!"

As the five of us reached the camp, Kaidan warned us to keep our guards up.  _Wait a minute, isn't this where-_

The sound of screeching, retracting metal destroyed my train of thought. Turning toward the source of the noise we were greeted by a humanoid figure, gray skinned with pale electric blue lights giving the creature a ghastly appearance. "Oh God, they're still alive!" exclaimed Kaidan.  _'_

 _Oh Kaidan,'_  I thought,  _'_ _if only you knew how wrong you are. Might as well say it.'_

"No," I stated. "They're  **not**  alive. The geth turned them into mindless... **things.**  Husks of their former selves. Not even human." As soon as I finished, shots flew past my right ear and quickly knocked the husk flat on its ass, sickly green blood pooling out. Clutching my ear in pain, I turned around and saw Shepard holding the smoking gun.  **"WHAT THE SHIT, SHEPARD?!"**

"You said it yourself," she said with determination. "Those,  **husks** , aren't human anymore. Meaning we have no reason to hold back.  **TAKE THEM DOWN!"**

At that, a one-sided shootout began, with the husks getting quickly decimated. One of the husks, however, found its way to me and tackled me to the ground.  **"ATLAS!"**  cried Kaidan as the others rushed to help me. I struggled in trying to push it off, but the thing wouldn't let go.

 _Damn it! Get off of me! Get off of me! Get off of me, damn you!_  I suddenly noticed my arms were glowing a faint gold, and that it was snaking its way into the Husk's mouth. Suddenly, it stopped trying to attack me, and I noticed that its lights had changed to a warm golden color. What the husk did next shook me to my core.

" _Help…me…kill…me…"_

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The husk was  **speaking**.  **SPEAKING!**  I noticed that the rest of the squad was as shocked as me. Ashley, however, trembled at the sound of the voice. "Greta? Oh God, Greta…no, please, no, nonononononononono,  _please, not you, no…"_  Ashley walked backwards, the shock and horror of seeing someone she once knew turned into…this.

The husk, once known as Greta to Ashley, turned around and looked right at the poor girl. She began stumbling forward, a tear-like substance trickling down her justified face.  _"Ash…kill…me…please…kill…me…don't…wanna…live…like… this…kill…me…please…"_  Sobs were caught in my throat as I saw this once-human being begging to die, to be put out of her misery. Suddenly, the golden light emanating off of Greta glowed brighter, bright enough to blind me. The blinding light is quickly replaced by flashes of a past life. Greta's life.

* * *

_I felt her wonder as she looks out the window of a ship at the stars._

_I felt her joy as she is running with a Boston terrier through the plains of an Alien world._

_I felt her sorrow as she cries in the rain, begging her mother and father to not bury the body of her little brother, horribly burned from burns from a ship explosion._

_I felt her anger at her parents as she argues with them, refusing to even entertain the thought of leaving Eden Prime._

_I felt her peace of mind as she lies in bed with her wife and child._

_I felt her terror as she is placed on the base of the metal spike by the geth, silently praying that her family will survive._

_Then nothing._

* * *

Tears freely flowed down my face as the memories ended. I looked at the others, my face silently begging them to help this poor soul. Bronson complied.

"Greta," he said soothingly as he took off his mask. His face was about that of a 25 year old man. His skin was lightly tanned, with short silver hair framing his freckle-covered face. A visible scar ran across his nose and under his eyes, which were a bloody red hue. "My name is Joseph Bronson. I know you're scared, that your in a lot of pain. But I promise, you won't suffer any longer. You won't feel the pain anymore." As he said this, he drew his broadsword and positioned it at Greta's heart. With a quick stabbing motion, Greta jerked and slowly began to crumple to the ground.

" _Thank...you..."_

And just like that, she was gone.

At that point, Ashley didn't care who saw, who heard, who would think of it. She just cried. She let all of her sorrow pour out as she clung to Shepard's arm and bawled her eyes out. Shepard just stood there and held her. Kaidan went over to me and helped me up, tears welling up in his eyes. I fight to keep my tears down, but it is in vain. Bronsonsimply stood there, his body shaking in anger.

As we began to pull ourselves back together, a single thought ran through my mind as a shot rung through the sky.

_Saren._

_He. Will. Pay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sniff* I swear, I nearly cried when I was writing that last part.
> 
> Now, Atlas' name is finally revealed! But the more answers he gets, the more questions there are to ask:
> 
> WHO or WHAT is Hikari? What does she know? What is the secret behind Michael's mysterious golden biotics? And what will happen when the group gets to Saren? Find out next time (probably)!
> 
> Anyway, please review! But NO flames!
> 
> ShepardisaBOSS, out!


	4. Prologue, Pt 3: vs. Saren, Round 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author's Note: I do not own Mass Effect, its characters, or anything from the series. All I own is this fanfic's plot, its Original Characters, and any/all original devices and/or powers/abilities that I create in this story. Enjoy!)

"Regular Speaking"

_Thoughts_

" _Talking over radios"_

_**REAPER MENTAL COMUNICATIONS  
** _

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

The shot ringing in the sky snapped everyone to attention, turning in the direction it came from. My blood began to boil with rage as I remembered why the shot went off: Saren had just killed Nihlus-one of his fellow SPECTREs-and one of his closest friends. And he shot him without a second thought.

"Okay, I'm willing to bet 1000 credits that the guy behind this blood bath is that way. I say we  **double time it, because I want to PERSONALLY PUT A BULLET IN HIS WORTHLESS SKULL WHILE WE STILL HAVE THE CHANCE!** "

To emphasize my statement, I locked and loaded my Desert Eagle, and began running in that direction, with Ashley following close behind. Her eyes held a fire in them. The all-consuming fire of vengeance. I wish I had paid more attention to it before.

Shepard, Kaidan, and Bronson were right behind us, with Shepard quickly taking the lead again. I mentally kicked myself as I remembered that this was her mission. That didn't stop me from following right behind her, though, as I still wanted to rip the living shit out of Saren's worthless-

**"LOOK!"**

Bronson's exclamation caused us to stop in our tracks and gaze at a sight that sent shivers down my spine: a dark colored cephalopod-shaped ship, two kilometers in height, its engines slowly propelling it off the ground and into the sky as it blares a bone chilling, ear-piercing horn. As it launches further and further into the heavens, I couldn't help but think that it was looking right at me, gazing into my soul. What happened next was a real surprise for me.

_**YOU BELIEVE YOUR SURVIVAL A VICTORY. BUT IT CHANGES NOTHING. YOU CANNOT STOP THE INEVITABLE ANYMORE.** _

_Yep. Sovereign just spoke directly into my mind. And wouldn't you know it, the bastard just went and got all cliché, telling me how I won't change things by…_

_...hang on. How the **fuck**  did Sovereign know about me surviving? Hell, how does Sovereign know about me at all?! Something to ask Hikari about later, along with asking her why I can't remember shit of what happened before or how I got here._

"Ho. Ly.  **Shit!"**  exclaimed Shepard. "Did you just see the  **size**  of that thing?! It was freaking  **huge**!"

A burst of giggling came from Bronson. Wondering what he was laughing about, we turned and looked at him with confusion on our faces. "What's so funny?" I asked. "She was just saying that in was huge."

Bronson held in his laughter as he spoke. "Th-That's… **THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!** " As he burst out laughing, I noticed Kaidan bringing a hand up to his face for a face palm. I felt like doing the same.  _Geez, I can't believe I walked right into_ -

**BANG!**

**BANG!**

I watched in shock as Bronson crumpled to the ground screaming in pain, clutching his right leg. I immediately noticed the blood pouring out of two holes in his right foot. Looking up, I found the source of the shots: Ashley and Shepard's pistols.

 _Okay,_  I thought.  _Most likely Renegade Shepard._

The wounded, idiotic merc looked up with pain and anger etched into his face as he screamed " **GOD-DAMMIT! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!** "

"Make another crack aimed at me," Shepard warned with ice in her voice, "and I will aim  **much**  higher. Like your groin." At that, Bronson shut up as Kaidan put some medi-gel on the foot.

_Yep, Renegade Shepard._

"Ooookaaayyy," I said nervously. "If we're all done playing 'Shoot the Asshole in the Foot,' I would like to point out that  **WE HAVE INCOMING!** "

At that, everyone noticed a squad of 10 geth and 5 husks charging toward us. I drew my Locust and started shooting the two geth closest to me, bringing them down in 10 seconds flat. I followed that up with propelling myself off of the closest husk and placing my feet directly onto the geth behind it. Unleashing a torrent of rounds into its flashlight face, I was too busy to notice the husk I used as a lift-off pad running toward me.

I turned around just in time to see its head explode, resulting in the green gunk splattering on my face. Spitting in case any had gotten into my mouth, I looked up to see Ashley holding a smoking sniper rifle. She then began using it to nail a geth that was right behind me, which had the result of the shot grazing past my singed helmet.

" **WATCH IT, ASH!**   **YOU COULD'VE KILLED-** "

I was cut off as two husks crashed into me, both dead on impact. I was willing to bet that they were killed by Kaidan's biotics. Before I could get out from under them, my gold biotics acted up again in the same manner they did with Greta. Knowing what was going to happen, I braced myself.

* * *

 _A beautiful sunset painted Eden Prime's skies with glorious golden-red_   _light and purple clouds._

_Two adult women, along with a teenage boy and girl, sit in contentment under a tree._

_The next day, geth enter their house. The boy charges them before he is ended._

_The girl screams in terror before the geth look at her. She tries to run, but they grab her, taking her toward one of the metal spikes._

_One of the adult women opens fire on the geth, managing to take two of them before she is captured._

_As they are laid on top of the devices, one word escapes each of their lips._

" _Mom."_

" _Greta."_

_The spike shoot up, and the world goes to black._

* * *

As the visions end, I found myself breathing heavily, sweat pouring down my face. Vomit tried to force its way up my throat, but I managed to hold it back. "You okay, Atlas?" Bronson asked as he looked down at me.

"They're dead," I said between breaths. "Greta's family. They're…they're all…oh, God…"

As my eyes began to focus, I noticed we were at the area where Nihlus was shot. This was evident with the turian Spectre's lifeless body at Ashley's feet. She obviously heard what I said, as she went over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. Her eyes said it all; she knew what I was going through. She knew this pain.

"Well," said Bronson, "while you were out, we learned from a survivor that a turian named Saren shot Nihlus. The dead turian. I think it's safe to say he's behind the geth attack, too. He took the train to where the beacon was moved."

 _Saren_. Hearing the bastard's name reinvigorated me. "What are we waiting around for then?! Let's go find him and  **KICK HIS ASS!"**

Picking myself up, I followed the others as we quickly made short work of the few geth by the train. As the train took us to where the beacon was moved, we checked our inventory and made sure that our equipment was still functional. About halfway there, I decided to break the silence.

"Alright, listen up, guys. If we find this Saren, I call dibs on kicking his ass." The others looked at me with concern as I took my held my Desert Eagle in firing position.

"We all want to get the guy responsible for this," Kaidan calmly said. "Why should you be special?"

I turned to him with cold hatred in my eyes. "Remember the husk that spoke? Greta? I don't know if you remember, but she, as well as her family, were killed, slaughtered by those metal monsters on that  **bastard's**  orders. Saren had those fucking machines do this to practically everyone on this colony." My voice was dripping with so much hatred, you could spread it over fifteen slices of toast.

To keep myself from coming off as too much of a dick, I hung my head as I decided to do something to gain their sympathy: tell a half-truth, half-lie. "Besides, I've lived on Eden Prime for the past year. I consider this place to be my home. If Saren thinks he can attack my home and get away with it, especially while I'm here, he's got another thing coming. And if I'm right, and he was behind what I think he was, then all of  **this** …this is personal." I spoke those last words with a silent promise to bring the turian bastard down, even if it killed me. Which, knowing how he would become a Sovereign-controlled super husk, just  **might**  mean my death.

Kaidan slowly backed away at that, a look of sympathy filling his and Shepard's eyes. Bronson gave me a look that said 'I don't believe you, but I'm going to keep quiet about it for now.' Ashley simply walked up to me with conviction in her eyes. "Yeah, well get in line."

I was about to retort, but she cut me off. "Look, kid, I can understand where you're coming from, but Greta was my closest friend in this colony. She and her family were one of the few people outside my family that actually  **cared**  about me." Walking right up to my face, she continued. "You want revenge on Saren? Fine. But so am I." I was silent for a few seconds before nodding my head in agreement.

"Anyone got a problem with that?" I asked the rest. They were silent. The only actual response we got from them were nods of approval.

As the train stopped, we found a large device on the platform next to us. It had a timer, a flashing light, and it was beeping.

Bronson's eyes widened.  **"BOMB!"**

Shepard immediately ran to the bomb and began to disarm it. The speed at which she was working made me guess that she had tech training, so she was either an Engineer, a Sentinel, or an Infiltrator. I didn't have much time to ponder as she finished disarming it. "There's probably more lying around," she said. "We have to find them and shut them all down."

I realized that if we did that, we would miss Saren. I took my Locust out and said, "You, Kaidan, and Bronson handle the bombs. Ashley and I will go ahead and see if we can put a bullet in Saren's head." Shepard started to argue, but a volley of gunfire from the geth stopped her. She hung her head in defeat.

"Fine, we'll cover you. Just make sure you get his corpse to me in one piece so I can rip it apart myself," she said maliciously as she glowed a faint blue.  _Okay, definitely a Sentinel._

Before I could head out, Bronson handed me his broadsword. "If you can, make sure to gut the bastard for me," he said. With a nod, I gripped the sword with my Locust and charged out into the squad of geth, Ashley following close behind.

Swinging the double-edged sword sideways, I managed to cut two of the geth in half before gunning down a third. Ashley followed by rolling to the side and mowing down the four farthest geth rocket troopers with her assault rifle. Charging forward, she grabbed a knife out of her boot and jammed it right in the face of the geth closest to her. As she struggled to get the blade out, I threw the broadsword straight over her head, the blade burying itself in the head of a geth soldier that was right behind her.

"Thanks," she said breathing heavily.

I nodded to her and continued toward the beacon. As we reached our destination, we were greeted with the sight of the turian bastard, floating in front of the beacon with his arms stretched out, giving him an almost mystical appearance. He then immediately dropped to the ground and turned to face us.

As he took notice of us, I quickly saw how pale he was. I mean, I already knew that his appearance made him look menacing, but the games never gave it justice. His skin was practically bone white, with his eyes barely showing at all, thus making his face look like a turian skull. His armor was only a tinge bit grayer than his skin, but his claw-like hands helped give it a lethal appearance.

I then noticed something odd. In the game, he had some cybernetic implants blatantly showing, particularly in his jaw and eyes; this was not the case as I had yet to see any implants. What really surprised me was his left arm: it was completely organic! He was supposed to have a geth's arm where his left arm should be.

"I take it that you're the  **rescue party** , here to save the colony," he said in his sickly-sweet tone. That, coupled with the flanging sound that all turians have when they speak, sent shivers down my spine. "If so, then you're too late. My bombs will destroy the colony in a matter of minutes, and I will be long gone. There will be no evidence."

My blood boiled with rage as he spoke with such belief that he would succeed. Stepping toward him, I said "Yeah, well I got some sour news for you, buster. Commander Shepard is disarming your bombs as we speak. And as soon as she's done, she and the rest of our squad are gonna help us kick your bony ass six ways to the Super Bowl. And no one, not even your  **master** , can stop that. Not forever, at least."

I felt a bit of pride when I saw Saren's face get plastered with shock. He definitely wasn't expecting anyone to know about Sovereign. But as soon as it showed, his surprise was replaced with a smug understanding. "I see…so you're the one he was talking about. I should have known that Carlisle would fail. Humans are just so useless, I don't know why we even need them."

That feeling of rage that I just had? It just doubled. He just admitted that he ordered Carlisle to betray his co-workers, his friends, just to kill me.  _But why? Why did he want me dead? What makes me so important?_  I filed those questions away for when I speak to Hikari again, and focused all my attention on one goal: fucking this son of a bitch's face up so hard that he wouldn't even be able to drink properly.

"Ash…let's kick his ass."

"Aye, aye, kid."

With that, we raised our guns and opened fire at him. Unfortunately, I had forgotten that he had biotics, as he demonstrated with a Barrier that was protecting him from the volley of shots. As soon as our weapons overheated, he drew his pistol and aimed it right at me. Ashley proved she was quicker than me, as she knocked me down into cover before Saren even fired a single round at us.

Raising her assault rifle as she got up, Ashley aimed right at Saren and unleashed an Overkill attack, hell-bent on ending the rouge SPECTRE's life. His Barrier beginning to flicker, he threw a Warp that impacted right in her chest, knocking the wind right out of her. I managed to get Ashley back into cover before Saren started to open fire again.

The effects of the Warp starting to wear off, Ashley proceeded to take out a grenade and threw it at Saren. As it went off, I saw a chance and ran out of cover, heading right for the pale turian. Drawing closer to him, I reared my right hand back and focused as hard as I could on the goal:  _I want to punch Saren. I_ _ **want**_ _to punch Saren. I_ _ **want**_ _to_ _ **punch**_ _Saren. I_ _ **want**_ _to_ _ **punch Saren**_ _!_

A golden, fluctuating light began to dance across my right arm as I skidded to a stop in front of Saren. Readying myself, I chanted in my head one last time.

_**I WANT TO FUCKING PUNCH SAREN!** _

I let loose and swung my fist as hard as I could, square in the bastard's face. My biotics suddenly unleashed a golden explosion of light as Saren went flying into the railing behind him. Unfortunately, the railing had the integrity to keep from breaking as he landed. Coming to his senses, and seeing that I was still disoriented from that attack, he raised his gun and aimed right for my head.

Pistol shots then rung out…from behind me. I turned to see a recovered Ashley aiming her pistol right at Saren's general direction. A few well placed shots later, the railing came apart and fell to the ground far below, and Saren with it. I only wish he had the decency to scream as he fell.

Before he fell, however, he had managed to throw a grenade in our direction, as I discovered when I heard a repetitive beeping sound. As soon as I saw it, my eyes widened and I scrambled away as fast as I could. Not fast enough, unfortunately. The explosion was surprisingly strong, as it managed to throw me right off my feet and flung me forward…right towards the Prothean beacon.

Impacting with the beacon with a near bone-breaking  _ **THUD**_ , I felt an alien sensation crawl across my body and lifting me into the air. Green energy flooded across, mixing with my golden biotics. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain run through my mind, and the visions began.

* * *

I don't know how Shepard managed to keep her sanity. The sheer horror of the images, flashing rapidly and repeatedly across my eyes, seemed to destroy my mind and remake it continuously.

And the pain.

**My God, the pain!**

Did Shepard go through this every time? No normal human could withstand this!

These are things no mortal should  **ever**  have to see!

After what seemed like an eternity (but was only 10 seconds), the beacon exploded, sending me hurtling toward Ashley.

* * *

_Ashley's POV:_

* * *

As his body landed on top of mine, ellicting a grunt of pain, I allowed myself to wonder how much this kid weighed. Then my mind came back to the important matters at hand, remembering that not only did a grenade go off next to him, but the beacon had done something to him before blowing up.

"Kid, you okay? Kid?!" No response.

Fear shot through my mind. He was my responsibility. I promised myself that I would keep him safe. Now he was laying here, motionless at my feet. I was losing him.

_Just like I lost my squad._

**"KID!"**  My voice was starting to break.

I began to tear off his ravaged chest plate to get to the body beneath. As soon as I saw his clothes, I began to press down on his chest repeatedly. I wasn't going to lose him. I wouldn't let him die too!

After breathing into him a few times. I stopped and closed my eyes. "Please _,_  God," I silently prayed. "If anyone is to live through this, please let it be him." Tears began to well in my eyes. With conviction, I screamed out  **"PLEASE!"**  With that, I slammed my hands onto his chest once more.

His eyes sot open, and he immediately began to gasp for air. Relief began to wash through my body, and I began to thank the Lord for this. Looking up at me, the kid asked only one question: "Did you just kiss me?"

I punched him in the arm, causing him to wince in pain. I then started to laugh in relief, tears of joy cascading down my face. Hearing footsteps behind me, I spun around and raised my gun at the source.

"Woah, easy there, Chief. We're the good guys."

Embarrassment reddened my face as I lowered my gun away from Commander Shepard. Seeing the state the kid was in, she, Kaidan, and Bronson rushed over to see how bad the damage was. "What happened here, Chief?" asked Kaidan, genuine concern practically dripping off his voice.

"We ran into Saren, LT. The turian bastard put up a good fight, but we managed to knock him over the edge," I said as I jerked my thumb at the gaping hole in the railing.

"Unfortunately," the kid said in pain, "he managed to throw a grenade before falling. Blasted me right into the bea-"

He stopped as his face lit up in understanding, which quickly dissolved into a kind of horror. Suspicion encroaching my mind, I decided that I would talk with him about this later. Helping him up, I said "The important thing, ma'am, is that we saved the colony, and the guy behind the attack is dead."

A faint rumbling soon proved me wrong, as Saren rose up on a hovering platform. Rage was evident in his eyes as he ascended. He launched a larger than usual Warp directly at us, causing us to scatter. The kid and I looked up to see Saren heading towards a geth ship far larger than a normal one. Turning to face the kid, I see his face contort with rage as his golden biotics flared up. "No," he said as he gripped the broadsword. "He is not getting away.  **NOT ON MY WATCH!"**

Realizing what he was about to do, I grabbed onto him to try and hold him back. The attempt was in vain, though, as we rocketed right into the sky in a brilliant golden light. This quickly ended as we crashed right into something, knocking the wind right out of us. As we regained our focus, I saw the inside of what was obviously a ship.

A  **geth**  ship.

"Way to go, numbskull," I groaned as my hand made contact with his arm. "You just crashed us into his ship."

"Well," he said with a small grin on his face, "might as well have some fun while we're here. You have any more grenades?"

Realization forming in my head as I understood what he was planning, I handed him three grenades as I saw alien blood trickling down his broadsword. Noticing my concern, he held it up and said "Oh, this? I managed to take a swipe at Saren on our way up. Definitely think I managed to cut something, though it would be a miracle if I managed to take off his head."

I began to have a sense of awe for him. He managed to maim (or possibly kill) the mastermind of the attack on Eden Prime while we were traveling at a speed where visibility was impossible. I swear, this kid was something else.

"Yeah," he said, "I'm awesome."

An amused grin began to grow on my face. "So, what's the plan?"

"I was thinking we run around, cause massive amounts of destruction, wipe out a few geth. If we're lucky, we can use these grenades to bring this ship down, therefore stranding Saren if he's still alive."

If there was any sign of him joking, I didn't see it. Deciding to just go with the flow, I shrugged and took out my shotgun after handing my Lancer assault rifle to him. "Here, kid, use this. You left your Locust down below."

Grinning like crazy, he looked down the thing's sights as he held it in his hands. "Thanks. By the way, the name's not kid. It's Atlas."

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

We were having the time of our lives; shooting up geth everywhere we went, blowing up a few critical systems, even managing to throw out a few  **BOOYAHKASHA** 's while swinging the broadsword around. It was like Christmas in July, crossed over with "in Space."

Looking briefly at a screen, I noticed something unexpected: there was a prison area on this ship, and someone was in it.

"Hey," I called out to Ashley, "there's a prisoner on this ship!"

Gazing at the screen, a concerned look spread across her face. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would the geth take someone prisoner?"

"Who cares?!" I practically screamed. "We can't just leave that person here to die! We have to save them!"

A few moments of silence followed as she contemplated. She then nodded, and went along our merry, geth-killing way to the prisoner's cell. When we got there, however, we had the misfortune of getting cornered by the geth.

"Go, I'll cover you!" screamed Ashley as she shot a few geth with her pistol.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" I screamed over the gunfire. This caused her to look at me like I didn't trust her.

"Hey, never underestimate the destructive power of a marine," she said as she raised her shotgun toward a geth rocket trooper, " **AND HER BOOMSTICK!** " She accentuated that last part with a Carnage blast from the shotgun, completely obliterating the unfortunate synthetic's torso and head.

Deciding to take her word on it, I turned my attention to the prisoner's door and placed some Omni-gel that I received from Ashley on the console. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing a darkened room with a figure curled up on a bunk. It was bright enough to make out that the figure was shivering in fear. "Wait," the figure said with caution, "y-y-you're not Saren. Or a geth, either. Wh-who are you?"

The figure's voice was female, though it gave off a somewhat synthetic distortion. Lowering my weapon, I calmly walked toward her. "I'm a friend, here to rescue you," I said with genuine care in my voice.

This seemed to get her to be more trusting, as she slowly got off the cot and walked toward me. She was about my height, and she was wearing a hood over her head. I noticed that she had three fingers on each hand. Her legs were shaped a bit oddly, and her feet each had two toes on the front, with an extra toe on the left and right sides of her feet. What really got my attention was what was on her face: a clouded mask, with two dim lights were her eyes should be.

"What do the geth want with a live quarian? I thought they wanted to kill your kind."

She shrunk a bit at my question. "They took me alive because I have information on their boss. That turian bosh'tet, Saren Arterius," she said weakly.

My ears pricked up at that. She had info on the S.O.B.? What kind? "Listen, he just attacked Eden Prime. If this info can get him arrested, would you help us?"

Her head pricked up at that. "Hell yes," she said. "If it means seeing that bosh'tet suffer, I'll gladly help you."

I smiled at that. "Then I hope you can fight, because we still need to get off this ship, miss...?"

She took my assault rifle and primed it. Turning toward me, she sweetly said "It's Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Dun-dun-duuuuunnnn! Things are getting interesting! And yes, I know that everything from this fight against Saren to my first meeting with Tali is non-canon. It's called being original. What do you think will happen next? Read and review, please. And if you have any ideas for this fic, please include them in your reviews. WARNING: FLAMERS WILL BE BURNED ALIVE! P.S., a cookie will go to whoever guesses who shows up next chapter.)


	5. Prologue, Final: Welcome to the Normandy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Author's Note: I own nothing Mass Effect related. All that is mine is this plot, its Original Characters, and any/all original devices and/or powers/abilities that I create in this story. With that out of the way, read on!)

"Regular Speaking"

_Thoughts_

" _Talking over radios"_

_**REAPER MENTAL COMMUNICATIONS  
** _

* * *

_Unknown POV:_

* * *

_Why can't we ever get easy, simple missions?_

This was running through my mind as I just received a mission update from the ground team. To sum it all up: everything had gone to Hell in a hand basket. The geth were destroying Eden Prime's colony, Nihlus was dead, and the one behind it all was a rogue Spectre named Saren.

What really got to me, though, was what the geth were doing to the colonists. Turning them into those… _things_. And we couldn't do anything about it. If we got here a few hours earlier, maybe we could've made a difference, but now...

"You okay, son?"

I turned around to find Captain Anderson walking over to the table I was sitting at, noticing how I barely touched my food. And it was steak, potatoes, and carrots. My favorite foods! As the old codger sat himself down in front of me, he had the same look in my eyes that I did right now. A look of regret. Guess he just got the update now, too.

With a weak smile, I replied "No, not really, sir."

He returned my smile and put his hand on my shoulder. "We can't always save them all, Steve. You know that."

I hung my head at that. He was right, of course, but it didn't help me feel any better. During the Blitz, I had sworn that I would protect everyone that I could. It was that promise to myself that kept me alive. It was what helped me save Elysium. But I couldn't help but wonder afterwards if I could have saved more.

Anderson could tell what I was thinking and gave me a stern look. "Stop beating yourself up about it. If we tried to save everyone, we'd just end up going crazy. And I need you in your right mind to kick Saren's turian ass across the galaxy."

That made me smile even wider as I let out a chuckle. Raising myself from the chair I brought myself into a salute. "Sir, yes sir!"

Returning my smile, he got up and went towards his cabin when Joker called over the comms. "Captain, we've got a priority call coming in from Eden Prime. I think you'll want to hear this."

"Thanks, Joker," Anderson said glumly.

Head sinking down at the prospect of not getting some relaxation before the ground team got back, he turned and headed to the comm room with me following close behind. If this was a priority call, then that means something else happened down there.

As we walked through the CIC and entered the comm room, Joker called out "Uh, sir? I just checked the message again. It's using an Alliance frequency, but…I think it's coming from a geth ship."

Our faces lit up in shock at that. We were both thinking the same thing: why was the call coming from a geth ship? Using an Alliance frequency at that. Cautiously, he reached out and activated the comms.

"This is Captain David Anderson of the  _SSV Normandy_. Identify yourself."

The screen started focusing on the figure making the call. It was a female human, clad in white armor with pink accents. I could instantly tell she was making this call in the middle of a firefight, as two other figures were ducked behind cover only to quickly shoot at something before getting back to safety.

 _Wait a minute,_  I thought.  _That's the soldier from the earlier transmission. What the hell is she doing in a-_

"... _peat, this is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212. Can anyone read me, over? Dammit, someone please-*_ _ **BLAM***_ _-_ _ **SHIT!**_ _I am trapped on a geth ship with a quarian and another human. If anyone can hear this respond- **GRENADE!"**_

She instantly ducked behind a crate before an explosion distorted the image. Running over, I said "We hear you loud and clear, Williams. You mind telling me  **why** you're on a geth ship, or how you got on in the first place?"

She immediately responded.  _"Me and Atlas, the other human, we were fighting a turian named Saren when he tried getting away. He used a Charge attack to try and take him down. I grabbed him to try and stop him, but I got pulled along for the ride. We missed him, though, and crashed into the-_ _ ***PING***_ _-_ _ **SON OF A BITCH!**_ _"_

With another shot barely missing her, she turned around and fired a Carnage shot at what I could only assume was a geth. Turning back, she said  _"If its not too much to ask, we could use an emergence rescue, sir!"_

Looking at Anderson, hoping that he would agree, he said "Transmit your coordinates and we'll bring the ship in to pick you up. I suggest finding an exit first, then send a signal so we can find you."

" _Aye, aye, sir! Uploading coordinates now. Hurry though, sir, I don't know how much longer we can hold out."_

The transmission cut out after that, followed by static and a ping on the terminal. Anderson called out "Joker, take us to these coordinates. We've got an emergency rescue to pull off."

" _Aye, aye, sir."_

Turning toward me, he said "Head down to the cargo bay. I want you to make sure we don't get any unwanted guests."

Grinning profoundly, I replied "Yes, sir."

As I headed out, Anderson said "One more thing." I stopped and turned around, seeing concern in his eyes. "Be careful, kid."

"Please, sir," I said enthusiastically, "I'm Commander Steve Shepard. I managed to survive Torfan, so I think I can hold off a few glorified flashlights."

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

**"If I never have to go into another geth ship again, I'll die a contented human!"**  I cried out over a hail of gunfire.

 **"That makes two of us!"**  replied Ashley.

I still cannot believe she talked me into this. When she said she had an idea for getting out of this ship, I was ecstatic. Until she got to the part about us having to go deeper into the ship. Mainly the communication center. The way to it crawling with geth, according to Tali. If I didn't know any better, I'd say Ashley was crazy.

And so, against my better judgment, Ashley, Tali, and I began to cut a swath through the crowd of geth that stood in our way. On the minus side, they were trying to do us what we were doing to them. On the plus side, we got to blow shit up on the way. If we manage to bring this thing crashing to the ground with Saren on it, I was going to call this a good day.

That's when I remembered: what if Saren was still alive, and on this ship? If we were lucky, then he would try to recuperate from the attack from the broadsword slash I inflicted. However, seeing as the universe is a total dick in these kinds of situations, I had to assume that he had enough strength to hunt us down and turn us into paste.

Oh well. If that came to be, I was going to make sure I went out fighting. And I still had one last bullet in my Dessert Eagle reserved especially for him. With an evil grin on my face, I let myself look forward to when that happened.

"Um, are you okay?" Tali asked nervously.

Her question snapped me back into reality. I guess she noticed the look on my face and, unsurprisingly, was a bit unsettled by it. "Uh, yeah," I quickly replied as I felt a blush growing on my face. "I'm fine, just fine. Fine, fine, fine. You fine? Because I am. Totally fine." God, if you have any pity on me, strike me down now.

Giggling at my fumbling, she replied "If you say so...I'm sorry, I don't even know you're name."

"Oh, that's right," I said as I slapped myself on the forehead. Stretching my hand forward, I said "For now, you can call me Atlas. Pleasure to meet you, miss Zorah nar Rayya." Taking my hand, she shook it and nodded in response.

"Um, maybe you two can socialize more  **after**  we get off this damn ship?!"

Ashley punctuated her statement with a report from her pistol, which impacted dead center into one of the geth's faces. Deciding to take her up on her suggestion, Tali and I raised our weapons and joined her in the glorious carnage that was killing rogue geth.

48 seconds later, the geth attacking us were turned into scrap metal. Smoking, residue leaking scrap metal. God, I loved using guns. The best part of them was that using them didn't leave me with fatigue, unlike my mysterious biotic powers. I figured that eventually using them wouldn't be a hassle, but for now, I was limiting how much I used. Especially after the brief supercharge used to take down the Titan mech.

Deciding to not stick around, we headed out of the comm room and began looking for something that resembled an exit. Then a thought hit me. "Wait a minute." At that, Tali and Ashley turned to look at me. "What do we do if the ship is already in space? I mean, won't we pretty much be screwed?"

"Don't worry," Tali said reassuringly. "According to my Omni-tool data, we're still in the atmosphere of Eden Prime. Apparently the geth are waiting for something."

"Probably Saren," Ashley said. "He probably had an  **accident**  on the way up here." Those air quotes and her statement helped to lay my worries to rest. Guess the universe decided to cut me enough of a break after all the crap I had gone through today.

Tali tilted her head at us confusingly. "Accident?"

"To clarify," I replied, "she means a probably fatal wound received from this big ass mother effing broadsword." I finished my statement by raising the broad sword into clear view. I noticed that Saren's blood was starting to dry off already, and with the lighting on this ship, it made the sword look kind of creepy.

"Oh. Nice job," the young quarian replied with a nod. Returning her nod, I sheathed my blade right before I felt a flare of pain hit my right shoulder, followed by me falling on my ass hitting the metal floor beneath me.

The pain seemed to drown out the noise around me. Deciding to check on my shoulder, I found that I had received yet  **another**  bullet hole in my poor shoulder. Seriously, if this keeps up, I'm going to need a cybernetic arm. Although it would be pretty cool. I wonder if I could have a blade put into it, along with a gun and/or a grappling hook function.

_Wait a minute. Why am I focusing on things for a robot arm when I just got_ _**SHOT IN THE SHOULDER?!** _

Trying to force myself up, I felt a shaking sensation and was suddenly pushed back to the ground by something heavy. Well, heavy enough to knock me back down. Forcing my eyes open from the pain, my face is immediately greeted with the sight of Tali's masked face, with her glowing eyes looking right into mine. I swear, it seemed that at that moment, the galaxy just stopped as we looked at each other.

Shaking myself out of my stupor, I blushed and said "You, uh…you alright, Tali?" This seemed to bring her back to reality, as her head made a slight jolt as she realized she was lying on top of me. If I could see past her mask, I could probably see her face darkening with as much embarrassment, or maybe more, as I was feeling.

She quickly got up and tried to explain herself. Key word being  **tried**. "Uh, um, well I, uh...eh heh, you see, uh, well, there Ashley used a grenade, but it was pretty powerful, so the explosion sent me stumbling, and I was trying to keep my balance by trying to grab something, but I tripped and-"

"It's okay, Tali," I said with a smile on my face. God, she was so cute when she was flustered. At that point, I thought I felt my heart speed up.  _Huh. That was weird_.

"So," I nervously said, "any ideas on where we're going, Ashley?"

"Yeah," she replied. "There should be a hangar coming up. We can try to meet up with the  _Normandy_  from there. If we're lucky, we won't have to deal with a lot of geth."

* * *

_Tali's POV:_

* * *

**"WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT US BEING LUCKY, CHIEF?!"**  Atlas shouted over the gunfire.

 **"SHUT UP AND KEEP SHOOTING!"**  replied an obviously pissed off Ashley.

 _Keelah, why can't the galaxy ever cut us a break?_  The way to the hangar was clear of geth, but the second we walked in, we were met with about 37 geth units, which included Troopers, Rocket troopers, Hoppers, and a Geth Prime. Exactly two seconds later, they opened fire on us, forcing us to take cover behind a bunch of crates.

I quickly noticed a terminal next to me, and realized that I could probably open the hangar from there. Telling Atlas and Ashley about my idea, they decided to provide cover fire while I "worked my magic" as Atlas called it. Hearing that made me blush slightly, which brought my thoughts back to when I was lying on top of him a few minutes ago. Remembering the feeling of our bodily contact as we look at each other sent my heart beating at a quicker pace than usual. The fact that I was feeling ecstatic over his leading an effort to rescue me, however unintentional it was, made me feel even more embarrassed over that moment. As well as made my head ache a bit.

 _Although,_  I thought to myself,  _it's not like I didn't like it. I just hope that didn't weird him out, tho-_

The sound of a shot going past my head snapped me out of my train of thought, forcing me to shake my head in an effort to focus. I checked my Omni-tool, and saw that this was taking too long. Looking back to see if Atlas and Ashley were still focused on the geth, I decided to risk it. Raising my hand to the terminal, I focused on the machine until small bolts of pale blue lightning began to emanate from the palm of my hand. I began willing the terminal to allow me easier access, and a few seconds later, it complied. Hell, it allowed me  **full**  access to the terminal.

 **"HOW'S IT COMING, TALI?"**  asked Atlas. Looking at his shoulder, I saw that the medi-gel I put on was starting to wear off, allowing blood to begin running out again.

 **"DON'T WORRY, IT SHOULDN'T TAKE TOO MUCH LONGER!"**  I replied. After fifteen seconds of working through the terminal, I finally found something:  _AUTOMATED DEFENSE SYSTEMS_ , with a  _FRIEND FROM FOE_  system right next to it. With a mischievous smile growing on my face, I immediately started working on the systems. After my work was done, turrets came down from the ceiling.

 **"EVERYONE, HIT THE DECK!"**  I screamed as the turrets began to power up. As we all hid behind the crates, the turrets opened fire. Right at the geth shooting at us.

30 seconds later, the turrets stopped firing. The three of us slowly peaked out to find the entire geth force trying to kill us reduced to a smoldering heap. "Holy crap," muttered a stunned Ashley. Looking at me in awe, she asked "How did you do that?!"

Shrugging, I said "It was easy, once you know what you're looking for." I noticed that Ashley was now looking at me with a new-found respect in her eyes. Atlas seemed to share the exact same look, though he had a wide grin on his face.

"That. WAS.  **AWESOME!**  You totally totaled those geth! I don't know how, but you did! You are by far a genius! A technological  **genius**!" I blushed at his onslaught of praise.

_Keelah, I don't think I've ever received so many compliments from an alien directed at me since I started my Pilgrimage._

"Well, do you think you could work use your mojo to open the hangar?" asked an impressed Ashley. I nodded and turned back to work on the terminal. A few seconds later, we were greeted with the wind rushing into the hangar.

"Okay. Ashley, activate your beacon so the  _Normandy_  can help us make like a banana and split," said Atlas. Looking at him, I tilted my head with confusion evident in my stance, something he was quick to notice. "It's a human expression."

"Oh, I see. Are all human expressions that odd?" I asked inquisitively.

"Actually," replied Ashley as she activated her Omni-tool's beacon, "I'm pretty sure there are some human expressions that confuse even humans."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yep. Now let's wait by the entrance so we can get onto the-"

She immediately stopped after she looked outside…and at the ground far below our feet.  _Keelah, we must be ten miles in the air, at least!_

As Atlas looked down, he nervously exhaled and asked "I don't suppose we finally managed to make compact jetpacks, did we Chief?"

Turning to him, she nervously replied "Sorry, but I left it with my teleportation watch and my light saber in my apartment." That earned a nervous chuckle from him, which confused me greatly.

_Why would these two be making jokes when we didn't know what to do?!_

Our attention was then drawn to the sound of a ship dropping into view about a good 30 feet away. It looked almost turian in design, but not quite. On the silver ship's hull was the name  _NORMANDY_. I guess this was our ticket to safety.

" _Williams, you read me?"_

Bringing her Omni-tool to her face, she said, "I read you, sir."

" _Good. Sorry we took so long, but we had to make an emergency pickup down below, as well as getting the ground team. Now, I don't suppose you have any ideas on how to get off the ship while it's airborne, do you?"_

Bringing his face to the Omni-tool, Atlas said "Just get your lower entrance open, sir. We'll take care of the rest."

There was a slight pause.  _"Who exactly is this?"_

"Call me Atlas, sir. I'm a survivor of the attack on Eden Prime. I have in my company the last of the 212 and the only person who can help bring Saren to justice, if the bastard is still breathing. Now, open the hangar doors, sir, before we get any more visitors here!"

After a few seconds, the man on the other end replied  _"All right, opening the hangar doors. I hope your plan is a good one."_

As the Omni-tool turned off, he quietly said "That makes two of us."

We then saw the hangar opening up, with a team of marines guarding the entrance. "Okay," I said, "what's the plan?"

He looked at me with a grin that made me fell like I was going to regret asking. "We're gonna jump."

Yep. I knew it.

Before either of us could protest, he began to flare up his biotics- _Wait, since when are biotics the color_ _ **gold**_ _?!_ -then grabbed the two of us and did the most stupidest move I could think of.

He Charged right out of the ship.

* * *

I don't think I could even hear myself scream as we shot through the sky, rocketing toward the  _Normandy_. After what seemed like eternity (I later checked that it was only two seconds), we crashed into the hangar. Oddly enough, though, the impact didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. Almost like something cushioned my-

My eyes shot open as I saw Atlas lying unconscious right behind me. He had taken the brunt of the impact for me and Ashley. And he wasn't moving.

"Atlas, are you okay?!" I shouted. He wasn't responding. I was starting to hyperventilate. "Atlas? Atlas, are you all right?! ATLAS?!  **ATLAS!"**  I was shaking the unconscious man before me, starting to think the worst has happened. _  
_

"Stand back, give him some air!" The voice behind me spoke with authority. I turned to see a gray-haired female human, probably in her late fifties, bending down to check on Atlas. Judging by her attire, I guessed she was the ship's doctor. "He's alive, but he's seriously injured. Help me get him to the med bay," she said to me.

"Uh, r-right!"

Shaking myself out of my stupor, I helped the doctor carry Atlas to the elevator. After laying him on one of the tables, I sat down outside.  _Keelah, I don't think I've ever been this anxious in my life._

After about an hour, the doctor and two men, one an officer and the other a marine, came out of the med bay and toward me. "You two were with him?" asked the doctor.

"Yes, ma'am," replied Ashley. I didn't even notice she was there. Guess she was as worried as me.

"Well, without your assistance, I can only assume his injuries could have been much worse."

"Yeah," said Ashley. "The kid definitely has potential, but he's too cocky. He doesn't think straight, just rushes headlong into the thick of it."

The man simply chuckled. "Now, who does that remind me of, Steve?" he asked the marine next to him.

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny, Anderson," replied a sarcastic sounding Steve.

Anderson then turned his attention to us. "Look, miss…"

"Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

"Alright, Tali," he kindly said. "I won't lie to you. If what Steve said he heard from this Atlas is true, then that means Saren will be trying to silence you. If you promise to help us, then I can promise that we'll protect you as if our lives depended on it."

I thought it over for a minute before replying. "All right. But I'm doing this for Atlas, not you."

He simply smiled and said "Fair enough. How about you, Williams? Looking to get some payback?"

She stood up and saluted. "Hell yes, sir."

"Well then," Anderson said, "welcome to the  _Normandy_."

* * *

_Saren's POV, 2 hours later:_

* * *

As I sat up from the operating table, I looked down to the symbol of my defeat in combat. My humiliation. My shame. Where my left arm once was, a geth arm was grafted onto my body, with ports connecting to various parts of my torso's left side.

It wasn't just my arm. His punch had damaged my face to the point that I needed geth tech grafted into it. As well as my eyes, which now glowed a faint, pale blue.

I was careless, there's no denying it. I had let my guard down against that man. That... **human**. As I was ascending to the geth ship to get off that planet, the boy had Charged past me. But not before using that sword of his to lop off my left arm. The pain was enough to knock me off my platform and into the forest below.

As I laid in the branches of the tree that broke my fall, my last thought before slipping into unconsciousness was how I had let that human get the better of me. About forty minutes later, a geth squad found me and got me back onto the ship. Just minutes after that human managed to escape with the quarian. If I wasn't so dizzy from the blood loss, I would either be furious at the geth's incompetence, or impressed that the human managed to survive getting off the ship with the quarian.

At the moment, though, I was ashamed. Ashamed that I had let this human best me.

Worse, I had to learn from Benezia that the colony was still intact, and the grenade I had thrown at the boy had knocked him  **into**  the beacon. He now had its knowledge. All because of me.

There was no excuse. I had failed.

_**DO NOT LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN.** _

I looked up with conviction in my now cybernetic eyes. "Don't worry. Not even  **he** can stop what is coming. No one can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Things are starting to get interesting up in here! How much do you think will change now that Tali is now a part of the crew? Better yet, what will happen to me? Just so you know, this is the last of the prologue chapters. Next chapter will be taking place on the Citadel, just so you know. Also, I will be taking a bit of a break in order to get inspired for writing the next chapter. Next chapter should be up in about 2 weeks. Until then, read and review, please. Also, NO FLAMERS, OR ELSE!)


	6. Journey's Start, Pt 1: Aboard the Normandy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last! The OFFICIAL first chapter!
> 
> Sorry I took so long updating this fic. Studying for exams is a bitch. Anyway, on with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: As much as I would like to, I own nothing related to Mass Effect.

_Anderson's POV:_

* * *

Steve had just got done filling me in on what he heard from this Atlas kid as we headed down to the med bay. My blood was pumping through my body at a quickening pace at what I was hearing. We had the key to bringing down Saren right here on our ship! But according to Steve, she wouldn't say anything until she was assured that Atlas was going to be fine.

As we walked into the med bay to check on the man who saved Chief Williams and our new quarian passenger, one thought entered my mind as I saw the kid lying on the table:  _He looks like he just survived a bomb blast._

His armor, once white and gold, was melted so badly it couldn't be repaired. His helmet, strange in design, seemed to fare better than the rest of his armor. We had to spend the best part of a half hour dissecting his armor so Chakwas could get to work. Fortunately, Steve had came in with me, so he managed to help with caring for our patient.

After God knows how long, Dr. Chakwas finally managed to take off the last of his greaves, we were both taken aback at what we saw: everything below his left knee was robotic. I felt a bit sorry for him, as I thought about how he lost his leg.

Chakwas said something to me, but I didn't pay attention. My focus was solely on the man before me. There was something familiar about him. I don't know what exactly, but I felt like I met him before somewhere.

Steve carefully cut apart the helmet, and my mind went blank at the kid's face.

_It's him. My God, **it's him!**_

Sensing my shock, Steve asked "Is he going to be fine, doctor?"

"Yes," she said. "Most of his injuries are minor burns and a few gunshot wounds. His head received quite a hit when he, um, 'entered the premises,' but it's nothing major." Looking down at him, she continued "However, he seems to be showing an increase in rapid eye movement, usually associated with intense dreaming."

"Doctor," I said with my voice barely containing my shock, "as of right now, this kid is your top priority. Make sure that nothing happens that could adversely affect him, mentally or otherwise." Nodding in agreement, I turned to Steve and said "Come on, let's tell our new passengers the good news."

As we exited the med bay, I thought to myself only one thing:

_Where the **Hell**  have you been all this time, Michael?_

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

_Ugh. Why do I feel like I'm lying on an operating table? Again._

Allowing myself, albeit reluctantly, to open my eyes to take in my surroundings, I first notice how dimly lit it is in this room. I then realize from the smell of antiseptic that I'm in a doctor's office.  _Well, I guess that would explain the operating table…wait, where the_ _ **fuck**_ _am I?_

Reluctantly brining my head up, I took notice of a sensation on my right hand. Like something was lightly latched onto it. Looking to my right, I found myself surprised to find the sleeping form of Tali by my side, her head resting in her arms as she laid them by my side. Putting two and two together, I realize that the feeling is her gloved hand holding mine.

_Wow. I never would have expected waking up to find a girl sleeping next to me…_

_...oh my God, did I seriously just think that? Man, I have **got**  to get my head out of the gutter. Or find myself a girlfriend._

"Mmm."

I turned to my left and found Ashley asleep, propped up in a chair with her head hanging down. I guess she was really worried about me.  _Okay, one girl sleeping next to me is one thing, but two? I- no, no, don't go there, Michael, don't_ _ **even**_ _go there._

Then a thought hit me: why was I in a doctor's office? I was then met with a searing pain in the back of my head as I recalled crashing into the cargo bay of the  _Normandy_ , positioning myself so that I would take the brunt of the impact away from Tali and Ashley.  _Oh, yeah. That's why._

Realization suddenly dawned on me: I was on the  _Normandy_.  **The**   _Normandy_! The ship of  **Commander Shepard**! I decided to catalog this away for when I allowed myself to finally geek the geek out as I let the whole situation sink into me.

"Doctor? Doctor Chakwas, he's awake!" Ashley's call for the good doctor brought me back to reality as the gray-haired doctor walked towards us. As I focus on her, I notice that she seemed to look a bit younger than she did in the game, with a few less wrinkles and a bit more darkness in her hair. Other than that, she was exactly the same.

The call also brought Tali out of dreamland and back to the realm of those who were awake. Looking at where our hands connected, she took in a few seconds to fully comprehend it before she jumps up and pulls her hand away. I could tell that she was really blushing under that mask.

"How are you feeling?" asked Chakwas.

Groaning, I answered "Like I just drank three kegs of beer...and jumped off a roof to flatten them." This earned a chuckle from everyone in the room, most noticeably from Tali. I swear, she has the cutest laugh. Speaking of beer, if memory serves, Tali is  **hilarious**  when intoxicated.

"Makes sense. You hit yourself on the head when you crash landed into the cargo bay," Chakwas stated. "That, coupled with the time spent fixing up your injuries, had you out like a light for the past 15 hours."

"Huh. Well, with all the shit that went down today, I think I deserved some much needed sleep."

"Ya got that right, ya crazy bugger," replied a familiar Scottish accent. I turned my attention to the door leading out of the med bay and found the familiar form of Kerry walking toward me. As a smile grew on my face, I noticed three others right behind her. The first figure I immediately recognized as Captain David Anderson. My God, just standing in his presence made you relax.

To his right was a female with short, wavy red hair. Her eyes were a deep emerald green, with full red lips helping to accentuate her softly curved, porcelain white skin. What caught my attention was the fact that she was in armor. N7 armor.  _Wow. So this is what Shepard looks like in this universe. Beautiful, yet deadly._

To Anderson's left was a man with blonde hair, neatly trimmed and styled like it was from the 1940s. He was slightly taller than Anderson, with an Olympian physique to match. His eyes, like Shepard's, were emerald green, and his skin tone was a few shades darker than Shepard's. Framing his face was a warm, friendly smile.  _Something tells me I can trust this guy. Not with_ _ **everything**_ _, though._

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly possessed you to biotically Charge toward a geth ship in the first place?" asked the blonde-haired man. Before I answered, I took in a second to hear his voice. Something about it was familiar, like I had heard it before.

Looking at him with a nervous laugh, I said "Couldn't find a cab." That earned a few more chuckles from everyone in the room. Except Shepard, who was looking at me like I was an idiot. Well, I couldn't blame her, seeing as I almost got myself killed up there. "Though to be honest, I was aiming for Saren. I at least managed to hit some part of him on my way up though."

"Williams told us about that while you were out. She also told me about how you risked your life to try and rescue miss nar Rayya while you were up there," said Anderson.

"Well, I couldn't just leave someone at the mercy of the geth." Looking down, I continued "I already saw enough of that down on Eden Prime." As those words left my mouth, I thought back to the horror that I saw down there. I would never forgive Saren for what his forces did down there. What  **he**  was responsible for.

Putting his hands on my shoulder, Shepard looked at me sympathetically and said "For what it's worth, you did the right thing." I smiled at that. I personally thought what I did was the right thing to do, and I think that's all that matters. But it was nice to hear that from her.

"Thanks, Commander Shepard."

Smiling warmly at me, she said "Please, when we're not on a mission, it's Natasha."

"Okay, Natasha," I replied warmly.

Walking over to me, the blonde-haired man extended his hand. Taking his hand into a handshake, he said "I'm her brother, by the way. Steven Shepard."

...

_Wait. What?_

"Uh, sorry. Did you say his name is  **Shepard?"**  I nervously asked.

"Yeah," answered Kerry. "He's a Shepard, alright. Doin' crazy ass, life-endangerin' stunts runs in their blood. Steve's little escapade on Torfan's a testament ta that."

 _Okay. So there are **two**  Shepards to deal with. One of them is quite possibly Ruthless, while the other is a Renegade (or maybe Renegon) Sentinel._ Looking to Kerry, Ashley asked "What did Natasha do that was 'crazy-assed,' exactly?"

"She took on a thresher maw single handedly. No tank. No bombs. Jus' her gun an' biotics," she replied matter-of-factly.

Looking at Natasha with a look of exasperation on my face, I took a few seconds before preparing to ask "What possessed you to do  **that**?!" Tali beat me to the punch though.

Natasha then lost some of the light in her eyes. With a sad smile on her face, she looked down and said "Losing your whole squad tends to make you go a bit nuts."

Damn. She was a Sole Survivor.

I...I couldn't even imagine what it's like to lose everyone like that. Though after less than a day of being around people who lost friends and loved ones, I think I got a good idea. My eyes shot up and I said "The other two. From the lab. Where are they?"

"You'll be happy to know that they're both safe and sound aboard the  _Normandy_ , thanks to Jenkins," replied Chakwas. Glancing down, she continued "I wish Jenkins were as fortunate."

A feeling of dread sank into my stomach. "You mean..."

"He'll live," said Ashley reassuringly. "Though from what I heard from Captain Anderson, he may never walk again. He took a shot to the spine protecting the others. It's...pretty bad."

I look down glumly. He may have survived the mission, but he would never go into the field again because of me. How could I look him in the eyes after this. "Where is he now?"

"Back on Eden Prime," said Anderson. "After we went to pick the two survivors from the lab, he asked us to take him to a part of the colony the geth left alone. There's a good medical facility, and his father's a doctor there, so he'll be in good hands. Also," he said turning to Steve and Natasha, "he asked me to tell you two to bring Saren down. Preferably with a bullet."

The siblings smiled at that, while I hung my head and said "Yeah, well they can get in line."

Anderson looked confused at my statement. Thankfully, Natasha answered "He lived on Eden Prime for the past year, sir. The way I see it, he's as entitled to payback as anyone else here." That earned me stares from Anderson and Kerry. The former's was one of confusion (though  **why**  I have no idea), while Kerry's simply said  _They actually_ _ **bought**_ _that?_

"All right, I'd like to speak with this Atlas fellow," said Anderson. Turning to Ashley and Tali, he continued "In private." They got the hint, and got up to follow the others out (Tali a bit more reluctant than the others). Before disappearing from my sight, I gave Kerry a look that said  _We're going to have a talk about my gear, later_. Smiling at that, the doors slid shut.

A few seconds later, Anderson did something I would  **never**  have seen coming in a million years: he broke into a huge smile and grabbed me in a massive bear hug.

Seriously,  **W.T.F.?!**

"I can't believe it!" he said laughing. "It's you! It's really you!"

Feeling the life drain out of me as he tightened his hug, I barely managed to say "Yeah, it's me. Can you…let go now? Getting…hard to…breathe…here…" Coming to his senses, he let me go and allowed me to inhale the gloriousness that was breathable air.

After getting my second wind, Anderson happily said "I almost didn't believe it. To think that I'd run into you again  **here**  of all places. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to see you again, Michael." My mind went into brief shock at that. We had met before?

Suddenly, his smile melted into a mixture of hurt and anger. "And on that note…where the  **HELL**  have you been all this time?!" The sudden change in his attitude sent me jumping slightly. "A whole year, with no contact from you. Not knowing where you were, if you were even alive. Do you have any idea how much grief you put Kahlee and I through, young man?!"

Before he could continue, I held up my hands defensively and said "Whoa, easy there, sir! I literally don't know what you're talking about. I can't even remember what happened before that whole debacle on Eden Prime, so how can I even answer questions like that?! And what do you mean, 'you and Kahlee,' anyway?"

He looked at me in disbelief. About a minute later, he calmly answered "You really don't remember, do you?" I shook my head slightly. Bringing his hand up to the bridge of his nose, he sighed. He then went on to say "Alright, I need you to stay calm right now, okay?" Nodding, I looked intently at him as he said four, mind-blowing words.

"You're my adoptive son."

...

...

...

_**WWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTT?!** _

"Wh...what do you...I mean...huh?"

"You heard me. You're my stepson, Michael. Kahlee and I first met you...God, almost twenty years ago?" he said nostalgically. Chuckling, he continued "Our first meeting was, rough, to say the least. We were being chased by a hit squad, and you…well, taking them down would be understating it. It was about three months afterwards that we adopted you." He looked down, his face wearing a hurt expression. "And last year, you disappeared without a word. Only info we managed to get was that you were following a lead on whoever hired that hit squad."

I was literally stunned beyond words. I was in the Mass Effect universe for an entire  **TWENTY-ONE YEARS?!**  Not only that, but I had become Anderson's adopted son, too?! Why the hell can't I remember shit like that?!

_Note to self: ask Hikari to get rid of anything that's blocking my memories next time I see her. It. Whatever the hell Hikari is!_

"Well," I said calmly and nervously, a shit-eating grin on my face, "how's mom been?"

A few seconds later, he whacked me in the back of the head. "Scared to death over you, young man. We'll talk about that later, though. I also came here to know what happened to you when you hit that beacon."

Ah. Right. Almost forgot that. Looking at the floor, I said "I saw…I saw the destruction of the Protheans, sir. They were slaughtered by a race called the Reapers. From what I saw," I trailed off, sickened by the horrors that I had witnessed, "well, let's just say there are some things man was never meant to see."

Anderson was how I was mere minutes ago: too shocked to even say anything. I couldn't blame him, though. He was just told that the Protheans' mysterious disappearance was due to the Reapers wiping them out. If I told him the truth about the Reapers, he would probably have a heart attack. "That's…you can't expect me to believe that, Michael," he said unconvinced.

"Well," said Tali standing by the door, "it would explain this." She then tinkered with her Omni-tool a bit before bringing up the geth recording.

" _The beacon is on Eden Prime. We will get it, and be one step closer to finding the Conduit."_

" _And one step more to the return of the Reapers."_

"I managed to get that from a geth unit that strayed away from its group," explained Tali. "That recording is the reason Saren captured me. He wanted me to give it up to him."

Continuing to carry a stunned expression, he said "How did he manage to get you?"

Looking down, she answered "I tried to get protection from Saren via the Shadow Broker. Instead, one of his agents, Fist, sold me out to Saren." Growling lowly, she continued "When I find that bosh'tet, I swear I'll-"

"Easy, Tali," I said reassuringly. "He'll get what's coming to him. In the meantime, I'd say her recording is enough to get Saren arrested, don't you think, sir?"

Anderson lit up at that. "You're right! Even if the Council doesn't believe the part about the Reapers, that recording proves Saren's a traitor!" Calming himself down a bit, he said "I have to call Udina. Have him set up a meeting with the Council. In the meantime, get some rest, you two. You earned it."

As he walked out of the med bay, I turned to Tali with a thankful smile on my face. "Thanks."

"No problem," she replied. "I doubt he would have fully believed you if I didn't play the recording."

"Speaking of, how did you manage to get that recording? I thought the geth always fried their memory cores if they got captured or killed."

Turning to the doorway, I saw the familiar face of Bronson as he was leaning on the door. Next to him was a man with a Middle Eastern complexion, with a white streak running down the left side of his shoulder length black hair. He looked to be about in his early 30's, with a look in his eyes that said he's seen things that would break a weaker man. What caught my attention though was the armor he was wearing: black armor with a skeletal design on the chest plate, all while wearing a black trench coat.

"Her people created the geth, Bronson," Malak said to his partner in mercenary work. "If they are quick enough, they can usually salvage bits and pieces of information from their databanks."

Tali's body language clearly said that she was surprised. "Th...that's right. How did you know that?" she asked.

Looking at her, Bronson replied "He makes it a matter to know about other's cultures and past. From there, he can gain a perspective on their people as a whole, and can become closer to better understanding others." Smiling he said "Plus, he hates it when others diss or hassle other quarians."

Now both Tali and I were surprised. "Wow. And here I thought I'd never meet another human who would even bother with quarians."

Turning his attention to me, Malak continued "The quarians are a wonderful people. Anyone who says otherwise are either racists or fools." Frowning, he went on saying "Besides, to claim that an entire race is unworthy of compassion based on a single mistake is unjust. It's that reason why I left Citadel space when I found out that the Council did  **nothing**  to help the quarians."

 _Okay. I guess I'm glad that he doesn't irrationally hate aliens._  Smiling at Malak, I said "Nice to meet such an open-minded person like you, Malak." Walking up to him, I extended my hand to him for a handshake, which he gladly returned. "By the way, I couldn't help wondering, but doesn't Malak mean 'Angel' in Islamic faith?"

Smiling, he replied "That is right. My full name is Malak al-Maut, the name that the Qur'an uses for the 'angel of death,' which is a title used to refer to-"

"Azrael," I finished incredulously.

Giving me a surprised look, he asked "Yes. I'm surprised that you know that though. Considering you have amnesia, that is."

Bringing my hand up to my face, I replied "I still remember bits and pieces, though nothing important to tell me what exactly happened to me before Eden Prime."

"Don't worry," Bronson said reassuringly. "It'll come to you eventually. This isn't something you can force."

"Yeah, I know. It's just so frustrating, not knowing something about your own past." Briefly pausing, I let a smile form on my face before continuing "Though now I know that I have a family, even if it's an adoptive one."

"That's it," said Malak, "try to focus on the good for now instead of the bad." Patting me on the shoulder, he said "Well, we'll leave you two alone for now. And Guardian, Kerry and the others are in the cargo hold if you want to talk to them."

Nodding, I watched them walk out the door before turning to Tali. "So," I said, "want to go talk to the rest of my group?"

* * *

_Malak's POV:_

* * *

Atlas and Tali walked out of the med bay soon after us, heading to the elevator and down to the cargo hold.

"Hey, miss Williams," I said to the young marine as Bronson and I sat down next to her, "don't you think those two make such a cute couple?"

Looking right at me, she chuckled and said "Yeah. Though I doubt that they know it yet." She paused for a few seconds before saying to Joseph "Thanks for...helping Greta down there, by the way. She wouldn't have wanted to live like that. No one would..."

A glum look growing on his face, Bronson said "Yeah. That was...that was just messed up. Turning those people into those  **things**. Those... **monsters**." He practically spat out those last words, his fists shaking in anger. "When I find Saren, he's getting a blade right in his back. Count on it."

Bronson was always an emotional guy, preferring to let his heart do the talking instead of his head. That helped earn him the nickname "The Bleeding Heart of Torfan." After he found out what happened in the compound, he rushed down and tried to help any survivors, quarian, human  **and**  batarian. When he saw the dead on both sides, I had found him crying his eyes out. He was a bleeding heart all right. That's what made him human.

But it's also his most dangerous aspect, as he never thinks about the consequences to his actions. Hell, he almost got shot to death by the Butcher himself for trying to save batarian lives. If it wasn't for me, Bronson would be dead right now, and the Butcher would still have his limbs. Thankfully, I was there.

He was one of the most human of human beings I had ever met. And I wouldn't have him any other way. Putting a hand on his shoulder, I said to him "I'm pretty sure Atlas and miss Williams already called first dibs, my friend. If you're hell-bent on the bastard's death, get in line with them."

Grinning like an idiot, he asked miss Williams "May I  _please_ have the honor of joining you in your endeavor to kill Saren, my fair lady?"

Playfully punching him in the arm, she replied "Call me that again, and I'll make sure your guns fail on you at the  **worst**  possible time." Turning to me, she then said "And Malak, if you're planning to join this crew like you said, then you can call me Ashley."

Chuckling, I said "Okay, Ashley."

Leaning back, Bronson said "Well, here's to us! The crew of the person who we all know is gonna bring Saren down!"

Smiling, Ashley said "And to the Big Guy up top, making our meeting possible!" Reaching for her glass, she continued with "Here's hoping He keeps us safe!"

I looked at her with surprise evident on my face. "I didn't think I'd meet anyone else on this ship who followed one of Earth's religions."

Frowning, Ashley replied "Hey, just because we're able to travel through space doesn't mean there isn't a higher power at work. I mean, hello, how can you look out into space and  **not**  believe in something?"

I grinned at that. She was right, of course. I could never understand why someone wouldn't have faith in religion. Granted, after humanity discovered alien life existed, religions took a major loss in followers, but still!

Ashley then noticed something I said. "Wait,  _another_? You have religious beliefs, too?"

I nodded. "Let me guess. You're...Catholic?"

She nodded in turn. "Dead on. You?"

I paused for a few moments. "...Muslim."

An awkward silence filled the room, only interrupted by Bronson releasing a sigh. "Well," he said, "this is gonna be interesting. Right?"

**_Thwack!_ **

One punch later, and he's out like a light.

_'Allah, give me strength.'_

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

"What do you mean 'of course it malfunctioned?!'" I asked Kerry.

Taking a deep breath, she replied "Jus' what I meant. The shield, sword, practically all the tech we put in yer armor were prototypes. It means all the stuff they're meant ta do was all  **in theory**. **"**

Shaking my head in defeat, I said "Great. So what am I going to use against Saren? A freaking  **discus**?!"

"Hey," Kerry said defensively, "don't worry so much. Those were prototypes, yes. However, I never said we haven't being testing newer weapons for yer arsenal. Those prototypes were from the time we first brought you to Eden Prime. Since then, we managed ta create a more **perfected**  line of armor and weapons. They're in one of our bases in Shin Akiba."

"So you mean…"

"That's right," she said. "As soon as we get onto the Citadel, we're getting ya outfitted with our best equipment. As well as getting you a private convo wit' the Illusive Man," continued Kerry.

I frowned at that. "I hope you don't think I'm going to like working for Cerberus. Even if you guys saved my life."

"Ya don' have ta like workin' wit' us," Kerry said. "An' we joined ta protect the Alliance and its interests from those who would do us an' our allies harm."

Giving her a look that said  _Yeah, whatever,_  I muttered "We'll see if you keep that attitude in a few months."

Before anyone can question what I meant, Tali ran up to me excitedly. "This ship is amazing, Atlas! Can you imagine how many credits it cost the Alliance to build this?" She was so cute when she got all fan girlish about a ship. Especially a cutting edge ship like this.

"Actually," I said to her, "scuttlebutt around the crew said this ship was a cooperative project between the Alliance and the turian Hierarchy. You can also just tell from the ship's design that the turians helped to make this."

Everyone within earshot looked at me in shock. Including all the Cerberus scientists behind me. "Wow," replied an awestruck Tali. "After the Second Contact War, I wouldn't think the turians and the Alliance would willingly work together on a single ship."

"Yeah, the turians sure gave them a run for their money in the war."

"You said it," replied a groaning Donald. Despite being near the brink of death nearly a day ago, he seemed to be recovering well. Well enough to move about a bit, at least. "If it wasn't for the quarian fleet's help, I doubt humanity would've came out of that war with minimal casualties."

"Ain't that the...wait," I said, "what are you talking about?  **Second**  Contact War?!"

Now everyone was looking at me with confusion. "Guess that amnesia was worse than we thought," Kerry quietly said to herself.

"What?"

Walking over to me, Kerry said "It was around the time humanity started working on activating the Mass Relays. In 2156, humanity discovered an alien fleet. The quarian fleet." Pausing to look at my dumbfounded expression, she continued "Apparently, two human brothers learned of the quarians and guided the two races into meeting each other. Humanity decided to send Hannah Shepard and the  _SSV Einstein_  to make first contact with them. Long story short, humanity made their first intergalactic allies. Soon after, they found out from the quarians about why they were living on a fleet of ships, and gave them a home in Alliance space. I can only imagine how overjoyed they were," she said with a smile.

Letting the smile become a frown, she continued "A year later, the turians, who were assigned to find out what happened to the quarians, managed to find out that we were giving them sanctuary in our systems. They then decided it was okay to attack us for violating Citadel laws. Granted, we learned about Citadel laws from they quarians. And we still gave them sanctuary, even after we found out how they became space-faring pariahs. They demanded we cast out the quarians. We decided to blast them out of the sky. Humanity and the quarians then came together against the turians in what we have come to call the Contact War.

"Our side managed to win the war by three factors. First, we made contact with a group of Artificial Intelligences, and through means known only to the twins, managed to befriend them. Second, the quarians were able to give us insight to turian military doctrine, so we managed to outmaneuver their forces…90% of the time. Finally, the twins, by means not even they could understand, managed to find a way to expose to the Council what the turians were doing. With the full support of councilor Tevos, the Alliance managed to get the turians to agree to a ceasefire, with the turians giving full reparations to the quarians and humanity.  **That** ," she finished, "is the Second Contact War. Questions?"

I had none.

My mind was blank.

" _This is your pilot speaking. We are about five minutes out from the Citadel, so please fasten your seatbelts and put away your drinks. Also, if you want a view, first timers, then you are advised to walk to the bridge in a calm and orderly fashion. Again, thank you for flying Air Joker. Have a pleasant day."_

That shook me out of my stupor. Tali and I rushed to the elevator (my God, why did they make it so  **fucking SLOW?!** ) and made our way to the cockpit, where Steve, Natasha, Kaidan, and Ashley were. "Hm," I said taking in my surroundings. "Cozy, isn't it?"

"Yeah, if you like showing people the sights while being in cramped quarters." Ah, you just learn to love Joker' sarcastic sense of humor.

"Look at it this way," I said. "if being an Alliance pilot doesn't work out, you can always go into the tour guide business."

Turning to look at me, Joker gave me a big smile and said "I think you and I are gonna get along just fine, kid."

Soon afterwards, we hit the relay and came out into the Serpent Nebula, Widow System. As we traveled through the clouds, we managed to gain a few glimpses of the Citadel's arms. A few seconds later, and the massive, five armed O'Neill Cylinder came into full view. As we stared in awe at the sight before us, something told me that things were only going to get harder from here on in.

* * *

_'_ _I have to say this about the Presidium: it looks a **lot**  better in real life than in the game.'_

The  _Normandy_  docked in the Citadel about half an hour ago. As Anderson and the ground team (myself, Tali, Malak and Bronson included) walked through the Presidium, we couldn't help but be awed by the beauty of our surroundings. The false sky in particular was extremely beautiful to watch, its fake clouds slowly crossing the blue behind it. What really got my attention was the trees. Yeah, they actually had real trees on the Presidium. Both from Earth and from the planets of every other Citadel race.

I also couldn't help but notice that we were drawing a lot of attention to ourselves. Though in the defense of those who lived on the Presidium, when a group of soldier armed to the teeth are walking through, you tend to take notice of something like that. I had to hold myself back from walking up and telling off the people who were looking at Tali like a piece of garbage. Something told me I would be in deep political shit if I accidentally pissed off the wrong guy, even if they deserved it.

Still, I couldn't help but be amazed that quarians were actually being allowed to walk amongst the people of the Presidium, even if they were required to be accompanied by a human at all times. It was definitely a major step forwards. However, it was cancelled out by the fact that neither quarians nor humans were allowed to bring A.I.s onto any part of the Citadel. I guess they just don't trust them enough, even if the Alliance explained that these A.I.s were friendly.  _Eh, win some, lose some._

After about half an hour of walking, we finally reached the embassies. A short time later, we walked into the office of ambassador Udina, the representative of the humans, alongside a female quarian. Both were currently in a heated argument with the Council.

 **"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!"**  cried Udina. You could practically see the veins in his head bulging and throbbing from across the room.  **"THE COUNCIL WOULD STEP IN IF A TURIAN COLONY WAS ATTACKED!"**

Valern, the salarian councilor, brought his hand to his face. Rubbing his temples, he calmly replied  _"The turians don't build colonies near the Terminus systems, ambassador."_

The female quarian stepped up. "But it's the duty of the Council to help those within their borders. You can't just sit back and do nothing!" Huh, her voice sounds familiar. Can't put my finger on it, though.

"She is right!" exclaimed Udina. Clenching his fist, he continued "You can't just let Saren get away with this! I demand action!"

Sparatus, the turian councilor, looked at Udina with contempt on his face. Pointing one of his fingers at Udina, he stated  _"You don't get to make demands of the council, **ambassador**."_  You could almost feel the venom dripping from that last word. Guess he was still angry at the outcome of the Contact War.

 _"Besides,"_  said Tevos, the asari councilor,  _"humanity was well aware of the risks of making colonies so close to Terminus space. And the matter regarding your accusation against Saren will be addressed later, at the hearing."_

 _"That is,"_  said Sparatus, _"if you even have any proof."_

At that point, something inside me snapped a bit. I was overcome with the urge to just put the bastard in his place. Walking past Udina and the female quarian, I went up to the three holograms and said "Trust me,  **councilor** , we don't just have proof, we have cold, hard evidence. The real question, though, is if you'll be willing to accept it as truth."

The Council's reaction was different then I imagined. I had expected them (especially Sparatus) to regard me with curious annoyance. However, their reaction was quite surprising: they were shocked to see me. Regarding me like a person they thought dead.

Tevos decided to break the silence.  _"M...Michael?"_

Smiling, I replied "That's my name, don't wear it out." Bowing a bit, I looked up and asked "What's with the shock?"

Valern was the next one to collect himself. _"The... **shock,**  as you so aptly put it...is due to the fact that we thought you were dead."_

"...Huh?"

Udina cleared his throat. "You would have to expect this, boy. When someone disappears without a trace for an entire year, one tends to believe that the missing person is dead."

 _"Though apparently,"_  Sparatus said,  _"you're too stubborn to die. A trait that I find both admirable **and**  annoying."_

Ignoring Sparatus, I managed to shake the fact that the Council pretty much thought I was dead. Or the fact that I was on a first name basis with Tevos. Speaking of which..."Um, out of curiosity," I nervously said, "what exactly was my relationship with you, councilors? You know, seeing as Councilor Tevos knows my first name."

The three councilors, Udina, and the female quarian all shared a look of confusion. Thankfully, Anderson was able to fill in the blanks here. "Michael has amnesia. He can't remember anything about his life before Eden Prime."

Tevos perked up at that.  _"You were on Eden Prime?"_

"Yeah," I replied. Looking down at the ground, I continued "It was...pretty gruesome."

 _"And you said you had evidence that Saren was involved with the attack on Eden Prime?"_  Valern inquired. I nodded, realizing that my possible relationship with the Council could be a big advantage, as they could be more willing to accept our evidence.

 _"Then bring it with you to the hearing,"_  Tevos said.  _"It will be held in five hours, so be well prepared. And Michael,"_ she said with a smile, _"it is good to see you again."_  With a grunt from Sparatus, the Council's holograms vanished.

At that point, Udina turned his full attention onto me. "Well, Michael, while I'm not necessarily  **happy**  to see you again, your reappearance couldn't be better timed. Maybe now the Council will finally listen to us."

Confusion evident in my face, I asked him "What do you mean?"

"What Udina means," the female quarian said, "is that through means none of us know, you managed to get the Council to be your willing allies. Particularly Tevos." Gesturing to Udina, she continued "And you can count on Donnel to use that to his advantage."

 _Yeah, that sounds like Udina._  Turning my attention to the female quarian, I asked her "Sorry, I'm afraid I don't remember your name, miss...?"

"Auntie Raan!" exclaimed Tali.

Hearing the energetic quarians' joyful cry, Raan stared in shock as Tali ran over and hugged her. "Tali?! What are you doing here?"

"At- um,  **Michael** , I mean, saved me from Saren's forces on Eden Prime. I figured that the least I could do to repay him would be to help bring the bosh'tet to justice." Raising her Omni-tool, she continued "Especially when I have  **this** …"

Fiddling with the device a bit, she played the incriminating recording that would prove Saren's betrayal.

* * *

_Fist's POV:_

* * *

Things  **literally**  couldn't get any worse.

I get regular reports from my agents throughout the wards. Whether they're from my guys in C-Sec (like Harkin), black market dealers, or even mercs wandering around, the reports I get are good. It's those reports that help me know what's going on, and helps me get the advantage. That's helped me keep my spot as one of the big players in the Citadel's crime world.

Things got even better for me after I struck a partnership with Saren. I knew he hated humans, but we worked out a deal: I provide him with weapons and tech for his missions (along with the occasional witness to his rogue actions), and he gives me the freedom to do as I please on the Citadel. Everything was perfect.

But this report? It could cost me  **everything**. One of my guys in the Presidium just got done telling me about the quarian I sold out to Saren. Not only was she rescued from his clutches, but she was now on the Presidium, still holding the evidence that implicates Saren with Eden Prime. She'll most likely have her saviors come here to kill me. Damned suit rat!

As if things weren't bad enough, the Shadow Broker recently found out that I betrayed him, and joined up with Saren. He must've been more pissed off than I thought, because he sent the last two mercenaries in the galaxy I wanted to see to kill me.

To reiterate: things can't get any worse.

The intercom buzzed.  _"Sir, Saren is on the line."_

I stand corrected.

Bracing myself, I opened the link to allow Saren's holographic form to appear before me. "Uh, what is it, sir?" I asked nervously.

" _I've been made aware that the quarian is on the Citadel,"_  he said calmly.  _"I want to know what you intend to do about it, Fist."_  The look in his eyes betray his emotions all too well: he'll kill me if I don't do something.

"Don't worry, sir!" I quickly replied. "I'll have my men take care of the quarian."

" _See to it that they do, Fist. Or else the next casualty in this little tale,"_  he said as he pointed one of his talons at my head,  _"is_ _ **you**_ _."_

The link ended at that. I gulped nervously, knowing that he meant every word. Thankfully, I know what to do. Calling up one of my squads closest to the Presidium, I said "Boys, I've got a high paying job for you." That gets their attention immediately.

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

The meeting with Raan and Udina went rather well, all things considered. We were set to meet them at the hearing in about five hours, which gave the eight of us enough time to wander around. Deciding to head toward the financial district, Tali and I went for a bit of shopping. Thankfully, Anderson told me that I had an account set up during my time with him and Kahlee, and there was  **a lot** of credits in there (I don't think I've ever had that many zeros in an amount of money in my entire life), so I didn't have to worry about spending too much.

"How did you manage to get that many credits?" Tali asked with wonder in her voice.  _You know, I don't think Anderson told me about_ _ **how**_ _I managed to get this amount. Something to ask about later, I guess._

"Trade secret," I replied playfully. Tali shook her head at that, yet was kind enough to let it go. "To be honest, though, I'm as amazed at this amount as you are. Don't worry, though. I'll  **try**  not to abuse this privilege."

Giggling, she said "If you do, you can send it to someone more responsible." Now it was my turn to shake my head. She doesn't hold back.

"You wound me, Tali," I said pretending to clutch my chest in pain. "Right here."

"You know what I mean," she replied, giving me a playful nudge. I swear, it's like just being near her is enough to calm me down. I think she might also be warming up to me, due in no small part to my bold (albeit stupid) rescue attempt. Man, I'm really glad I managed to save her on Eden Prime.

Then it hits me. I saved her. On  **Eden Prime.**  That wasn't supposed to happen in the game. Then again, the quarians weren't supposed to make first contact with humanity either, yet things couldn't be better for the two of them.  _Geez, how much of the timeline got screwed up before I got here, anyway?_

"At- er, Michael, are you okay?" Tali asked worriedly. I snapped back to reality, deciding I could worry about that later.

"Yeah," I replied. "Just…trying to process all of this. I mean, I've gone through a hell of a lot in the past day, and I...I guess it just hasn't hit me yet. I'm able to do incredible things, yet I can't properly control them. Hell, I barely even know anything about my own past. I guess..." I hung my head at this point. "I guess I just need time to really process it all."

Tali placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "You'll get through this. And you won't be alone."

I smiled at this. "Thanks, Tali."

Before we continued onward, Kerry ran up to us, breathing quite heavily. "Haven't *huff* either of ya *huff* ever heard of *huff* leavin' *huff* yer damned *huff* Omni-tools on?! *huff*"

Looking at her in confusion, Tali and I looked at our Omni-tools and realized with embarrassment that we had turned them off before heading out. "Uh," I said nervously, "sorry about that."

Shaking her head, Kerry took some time to catch her breath. After regaining her composure, she continued speaking. "Nevva mind. Here," she said handing me some coordinates, "take a skycar to this location. My  **boss**  would like ta have a word wit ya."

My stomach leapt in shock as the gravity of her words set in. She had given me coordinates to a Cerberus safe house on the Citadel. And the Illusive Man wished to speak with me, for God knows what reason. Looking up at her, I asked "Are the others there, too?"

"Aye," she answered with a nod, "along wit Malak and Joseph. I'd suggest headin' there, pronto." Before I could speak, she said "Don' worry, I'll keep an eye on Tali while yer gone."

_Wow. She's good. One of these days, I'm going to have to ask if she can read minds._

Sighing in defeat, I whispered in her ear "You better keep her safe, Kerry. If I find out you hurt her, though, you and I will have a…problem."

She looked at me with a cold stare. "Don' think I'm some backstabber like Carlisle. When I promise to keep someone safe, the only way they can get hurt is if someone knocks me out cold or kills me." With a slight chuckle, she continued "Though hopefully, I get the former."

Shaking my head, I look back at Tali for a few seconds, then head to the skycar. After entering in the coordinates, I simply lean back and let myself get taken to the lion's den.  _Well,_ _ **this**_ _is gonna be just_ _ **perfect**_ _._

* * *

_20 minutes later…_

* * *

"Well,  **this**  is not what I was expecting."

As the skycar brought me to my destination, I was expecting a warehouse, or some run down complex. Though apparently, the Illusive Man thought this Cell was important enough to have their base of operations be in a kick ass penthouse suite in a swanky hotel, if this data was right.

Again,  **not**  what I was expecting.

Entering through the lobby (the person at the front desk was apparently expecting me), I was led to an elevator that brought me to the top floor, directly into the penthouse. Immediately upon entry, I'm amazed by the sights. Vibrant colors painting the walls; luxurious carpets spread across the floor; leather furniture.

_I could get used to this._

"Good to see you've finally arrived, Atlas."

What I saw next completely caught me off guard. In a large room left to the entryway, a group of people were seated facing in my direction. There were four of them, two humans, and two quarians. _  
_

"I assumed I would only be speaking to the Illusive Man," I said as I crossed my arms. "Who are the rest of you?"

One of the quarians, a female, answered. "We are here with the Illusive Man," she said with a stuck up attitude, "because we run Cerberus with him."

Once again,  **not**  what I was expecting.

"Your shock is understandable, Atlas. If what we were told is true, you were expecting Cerberus to contain only humans. Though since you know that humanity is allied with the quarians, it would make sense to include them in our organization." I turned my attention to the man speaking to me. With his electric blue eyes, there was no doubt who I was looking at.

With a smirk, I said "Hello, TIM. Or would you prefer to be called Harper, instead?"

Taking a draw from his cigarette, he looked at me and said "It seems our friend was right." Smiling genuinely, he continued "You do have good sources, if you were able to discover my identity."

With a triumphant smile, I said "You have  **no**  idea, TIM. But you still haven't told me who you're friends are."

Placing his cigarette in an ashtray, TIM said "Well since you know  **my**  name, there's no point in hiding the identity of the others. Firstly, General Oleg Petrovsky," he said gesturing to the man by the table, who lifted a glass of what I assume is wine, all while wearing a genuine smile. The Illusive Man continued "To his left is Admiral Rael'Zorah." The admiral simply nodded at me. "and Admiral Daro'Xen." She didn't even look my way. "Together," he exclaimed with his arms stretched out, "We are the Cerberus Council."

To say I was stunned would be a colossal understatement. I had been expecting to have a chat with only the Illusive Man, leader of a group of glorified space Nazis. Now I'm standing here in a penthouse suite meeting with the  **four**  leaders of Cerberus, and three of them weren't even human. I could understand allowing quarians into their ranks, but I was not expecting two Admirals-  **Xen**  and  **Rael**  at that- to be leading the group as well.

"So," Oleg said cheerfully, "where should we start?"

* * *

_Kerry's POV, 33 minutes later:_

* * *

The world was starting to come back into focus again. Bringing myself up, I tried to focus, but my head was killing me. Bringing my hand to the back of my head, I felt a large bump.  _Well, that's gonna sting in the morning._

"Hey, Tali. What exactly ha-"

Then it all came crashing back to me. Shortly after Atlas left to meet with the Cerberus Council, Tali and I were ambushed down in the Wards. About 13 people appeared both in front of us and behind us.

It should have been easy. For me, at least.

Convincing them to attack me unarmed, I managed to take out 9 of them before the tenth cheated and hit me in the back of the head with a pipe. I stayed conscious long enough to see one of the assailants throw a bag over Tali's head, then proceeded to black out.

Sighing in gloom, I said to myself "Atlas is gonna kill ma' ass."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, shit's about to go down! I know, this was a short chapter, but I think it left off in a perfect way, setting up for the assault on Chora's Den, which means the introduction of Wrex and Garrus, finally.
> 
> Also, yeah, TIM isn't the sole leader of Cerberus. This is to be expected when you ally with two different races. I'm looking forward to how this Cerberus Council works out.
> 
> Also, when the hero discovers that Tali has been kidnapped, you can expect a rampage to occur. The question, though, is whether or not he will kill anyone (especially Fist) during the future assault on Chora's Den.
> 
> Read and review, please! But no flames, OR ELSE!


	7. Journey's Start, Pt 2: Assault on Chora's Den

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The attack on Chora's Den!
> 
> Now just a heads up, this one is going to be different than it was in the game (in more ways than one), but I hope you enjoy what is to come.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect! I do, however, own my Original Characters and this story!

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

"I've got to hand it to Cerberus…they sure know how to fuse functionality with style."

As I said this, I couldn't help but admire how I looked in a mirror. Soon after arriving at the Cerberus safe house, the Cerberus Council had given me my new armor. By armor, I mean a battle-functional, skin tight jumpsuit. Thankfully, I had a rather fit bodily build, so I wasn't  **too**  embarrassed at how the damn thing clung to me. Thinking back, I couldn't remember how I got my body this fit, as I last remember it being slightly out of shape. Oh well.

The suit itself reminded me of Jacob's uniform in the games. However, the black from the suit was replaced with a bright gold, and was given some silver linings. I noticed that the Cerberus logo wasn't there (for which I was thankful), but decided to pay it no mind. I was also given some high tech combat boots (with a mag-boot system in them for low gravity areas), and a brand new version of the helmet I wore on Eden Prime. However, this helmet's main difference was that instead of there being a mouthpiece and eye holes, the front of the helmet was a tinted golden visor. If you replaced the gold with red, you'd practically have a perfect copy of Jason Todd's Red Hood helmet.

All in all, this thing looked totally awesome. Though if I wanted to make it look even cooler, all I needed was-

"Here," said Rael. "I figured this would be a good addition."

In his hands was a white leather jacket with gold trimmings. Carefully putting it on, I looked at myself and smiled.

_Okay,_ _**now** _ _I look totally badass._

Heading out into the main room where Bronson, Malak, and the rest of the Rebirth Cell was, I held out my arms and asked "Well guys…how do I look?"

Bronson and Malak: "Like an idiotic space biker."

Glaring at them for a few seconds, I decided to let it go at that and move on. Turning toward Xen as she walked toward us, she said "Come on. We still have to give you some new weapons."

Heading into another room with her, I could swear that my lower jaw crashed through the floor. Inside the room was an arsenal large enough for a platoon. Assault rifles, shotguns, rifles, heavy pistols, grenades, sub-machine guns, heavy weapons; practically every type of firearm was in this room. "Is that a  **Gatling gun**?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes it is, my boy," answered a grinning Bronson. "Yes it is."

"From what Deadpool and Azrael told us," continued Xen, "you seemed to have some skills with a blade. However, giving you a sword with a handle is too dangerous. Anyone could use it. Therefore," she said as she took out a pair of gauntlets, "I decided to give you something more...attached."

After she placed the gauntlets on my hands, she motioned me to clench my fists and rotate my left hand clockwise, and my right counter-clockwise. As soon as I did, two bright blue Omni-tools popped up on each hand. A second later, an energy blade of the same color sprung out to about 2 feet in length on my right hand, and a blue energy shield appeared on my left.

"These are my prototype Omni-weapons. They have the same functions as the sword and shield you had on Eden Prime, except these are more compact. This also prevents an enemy from stealing them from you and using them against you," the quarian scientist/admiral explained. "Also, the moment you activated them, the tools scanned your DNA and locked in on it, so only you can use them. This same function will, of course, be in the rest of your weapons."

Looking at her in awe, I said "You are a genius."

"I know," she replied as she waved her hand dismissively. "You should also know that I managed to repair all the damages to your grenade launcher,  _Morning Glory_ , and Rael helped to mass produce modded ammunition clips for your handgun. Further use of these bullets should help to create more superior firepower for the Alliance, so be sure to keep your gun at all times."

As she said this, a few assistants brought in four boxes, with the lids being taken off as she spoke. The first box held the  _Morning Glory_ , fixed and ready to kick ass. The next two boxes contained heavy weapon ammo, enough to not worry about for a while. The last box held clips of handgun bullets for my Desert Eagle (again, enough to not worry about for a while). However, I still had the clip from Eden Prime. The final bullet in the clip is reserved for when I caught up with Saren.

Then a thought entered my mind. Turning to face Xen, I asked her "Why?"

"Well," she began, "by collecting the data on the effectiveness of-"

"No," I interrupted, "I mean why this? Why go through all of this-the Rebirth Cell, the high tech armor and jumpsuit, this freaking armory," I emphasized by spreading my arms out, "even these experimental weapons- why go through all of this just for me?"

Everyone was silent for a few moments. "I suppose that's the question that really matters at the moment, isn't it?" We turned around to face the Illusive Man, standing at the door cigarette in hand. Taking a puff, he continued "Because of what you mean to the Reapers, for starters."

_'Wait, what?'_

"Your shock is understandable," he continued. "To be honest, I was just as shocked as you when I was informed of your existence, and what you were capable of. It took me a while to fully come to terms with it, but when I did, I took this matter to the rest of the Cerberus Council. And after going over everything we had found out that came with the two of you, we couldn't deny the facts: the Reapers are returning. And you are one the few, maybe the only one, who can stop them."

As I was coming back from the shock, I noticed something he said. "Wait,  **two**  of us?"

"He is referring to the person who brought you to Cerberus," Rael answered. "We have no idea who he really is or where he came from. All we know is what he looks like. Unfortunately, he had a device that prevented us from capturing a photograph, so we can't even show you what he looks like."

Groaning, I asked "Well can anyone at least  **tell**  me what he looked like?"

"Yeah," answered Petrovsky. "He looked like a man whose body been carved of of night sky. No noticeable features, though. Talk about weird, eh?"

 _A being made of stars?_  "Well, I don't know anyone like that."

"We didn't expect you to, Atlas. He warned us that you might receive amnesia as a side effect from your injuries." Taking another puff of his cancer stick, the Illusive Man continued. "But this man claims to be on our side, and has given us enough information to back his claim up. In return, he made us promise to make sure you were prepared for the return of the Reapers. And that is exactly what we intend to do."

_Beep beep beep._

Entering the lounge, a screen came to life on the wall revealing the image of...a bruised up Kerry?

"Operative Lawson? What happened to you?" Xen inquired.

" _Uh...promise ya won' get mad?"_

"That all depends on the situation," Petrovsky stated neutrally. "Otherwise, we will make no such promise. Now what happened?"

Sighing, she answered  _"Its Tali, sir. Some scunners jumped us and...they bolted wit her, sir."_

Jumping up, Rael screamed  **"WHAT?! YOU LET MY DAUGHTER GET KIDNAPPED BY A GANG OF THUGS?! KEELAH, I SWEAR, IF SHE GETS KILLED I-"**

"Calm down, Rael," Xen said. "Throwing a tantrum won't help anyone."

**"MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN STOLEN, TAKEN TO WHO KNOWS WHERE, AND YOU'RE ASKING ME TO CALM DOWN?!"**

Before he could continue, I asked calmly "Where was she last?"

" _With me, down in th' Wards by th' marketplace. They knocked me out about 30 minutes ago."_

 _Well, they couldn't have gotten far._ "Alright, I'm heading there now. Hang tight." Terminating the link, I said "Bronson, Malak. I know you don't owe me any favors, but will you please help me find her?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Bronson said as he grinned wildly, all while carrying a bunch of grenades in his arms.

"We'll stand by you, in victory or death," Malak said as he put his mask on. "Besides, we don't have anything better to do at the moment."

"If we find any information that will help your search, I'll send it your way," the Illusive Man said. "Though I doubt the three of you alone will be able to find her in time."

Nodding in response, I activate my Omni-tool's communication systems. "Natasha, Steve? We have a problem."

* * *

_The Wards, 24 minutes later..._

* * *

"So, where do we start?" Kaidan asked.

"I say we start with Barla Von," I said. "He deals with both financial concerns and information dealing, and is said to work for the Shadow Broker."

"The who?" asked Steve.

"The Shadow Broker is the best information dealer in the galaxy, brother dearest. He sells secrets to both sides, always managing to keep everyone from getting a permanent advantage over another. A necessary evil for the galaxy, and Barla Von works for him."

At the end of Natasha's explanation, we reached Barla Von's place of business in the Financial District of the Presidium. Entering the room, the volus gave us a look before saying "Welcome. It is an honor having the Saint of Torfan in my presence. As well as you, Natasha Shepard. The tale of your survival on Akuze always amazes me." Taking a volus breath, he looks at me with surprise evident in his body language. "Well now. I suppose the rumors of your demise were false after all, Michael."

Now it was my turn to be surprised. "You know who I am?"

"Of course. You saved my life almost...has it already been 15 months ago? More than once, I might add. I owe you quite a few favors, so anything you need to know, is on the house."

After looking at the others in surprise, I returned my attention to the volus. "A friend of mine was kidnapped nearly an hour ago. A quarian named Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

"Miss Zorah? She escaped from Saren? Well, he might have found her again and sent Fist to capture her."

"Why would he bother?" asked a curious Ashley.

"Because he betrayed the Shadow Broker. The Broker told Fist to bring miss Zorah to a safe place, until she could get something to the Council. Instead, he handed her over to Saren. Needless to say, the Broker was  **not**  happy. If miss Zorah is back on the Citadel, Fist is involved with her disappearance."

Leaning forward, I darkly asked "Where can we find Fist?"

"He's down in the Wards. Holed himself up in Chora's Den, and word has it that it's heavily guarded. I wouldn't recommend going there without help."

"Any suggestions?" inquired Steve.

"Find Garrus Vakarian. He's C-Sec, and he knows the layout of Chora's like the back of his hand. Last I heard he and his partner were headed to Dr. Michel's clinic in the Wards. Also, find Urdnot Wrex, a krogan mercenary hired by the Shadow Broker to deal with Fist. Trust me, you'll want him by your side if you're going to attack Fist. He's in C-Sec headquarters with  **his**  partner."

"Thank you, Barla," I said gratefully.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "What are friends for?"

Heading out, we decided to go to the clinic first. Unfortunately, there weren't any available sky cars around, so we had to go on foot. About ten minutes (and a cramped elevator ride down) later, we arrived at the Wards.

* * *

My first impression at the sight of the arms of the Citadel, stretched out into the cloudy nebula: Wow. It was like looking out into a majestic city, with the nebula adding a feeling of awe. One look at the others, and I knew I wasn't the only one impressed.

Saying our thoughts on the sight, we followed Barla Von's directions and found ourselves in front of the clinic. As we were about to enter, a thought hit me.  _What was Garrus doing as Shepard was entering the clinic, again?_

Then we saw two figures, one turian and one female human, crouched in cover as a group of human thugs were threatening the good doctor.

_Oh. Right._

"I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" exclaimed a frightened Dr. Michel.

"That was smart, doc," said the lead thug. "Now if Vakarian or Goemon show up, you better keep quiet, or-  **WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"**  he exclaimed as he noticed us. In one quick motion, he snaked his arm around Dr. Michel's neck and pointer his gun at us. A second later, Garrus leaped out of cover and placed a round in the bastard's head.

As his body dropped to the floor, I activated my Omni-shield and launched forward. Vaulting over the short wall, I planted my foot in the closest thug's face before spinning around and crashing my Omni-shield to his  **friends'**  face, knocking him flat on his back. It was at that moment that the last guy raised his gun at  **my**  face. And it was a Carnifex.

_Well, crap._

Before he could pull the trigger, a knife- scratch that, a  **kunai**  knife- buried itself in his head, right between the eyes. Turning to see where it came from, I saw the human with Garrus with her arm stretched outward in my general direction. With a grin on her puss, she calmly said "Bulls eye."

At that point, Garrus put away his gun and went over to Natasha and Steve. "Nice timing, Shepard...and, Shepard. You gave me the perfect chance to-"

 **"Are you out of your damn mind?!"** Steve interrupted, causing Garrus to jump in surprise.  **"You could have killed the doctor!"**

"And if you did," Natasha continued, "you and I would have a  **problem."**  The last word was punctuated by her activating her heavy pistol.

_Man, I'd hate to be him if that happened._

"There wasn't any time to think! I just- Dr. Michel, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, Garrus," she said as she collected herself. "Just a bit shook up. Thank you, all of you, for saving me."

"Happy to be of service, doc. Though it was Garrus, Goemon, and Michael here who did all the work," Bronson said as he but away his broadsword, disappointment evident in his body language. "The rest of us were just a distraction."

At that, Garrus looked at me, his facial expression one of shock (or what I assumed to be shock). "Michael? Is that really you?"

 _Huh. Guess I'm already acquainted with him._  Smiling, I said "That's my name, don't wear it out. Just curious, though, how did we know each other?"

It was now miss Goemon's turn to be shocked. "You're kidding, right? After all we've been through?" I simply shrugged.

"He has amnesia," Ashley explained. "He can't remember anything that happened before the attack on Eden Prime."

"You were on Eden Prime?" asked a surprised Garrus.

"It's a long story, involving secret laboratories, running against the clock, fighting geth with limited ammo and no shielding, as well as fighting my way off a geth ship," I said tiredly. "I'll tell you about it later."

A few seconds later, both Garrus and Goemon were laughing their asses off, while Dr. Michel simply stood where she was in shock. Catching his breath, Garrus said "Damn, Michael. A year later and your  **still**  finding a way to get involved in a big fight. It's like you're a magnet for trouble."

Tilting his head in confusion, Malak asked "This sort of thing happened to him before?"

"Long story," miss Goemon said, "if there's time, we'll tell you all about it. Now, what are you all doing here exactly."

After explaining the situation to them, they both had looks of disgust on their faces. "Fist," Garrus said with venom. "I knew he was a criminal, but working for Saren? I think we just found the perfect excuse to take him in, Rika."

Rika Goemon nodded, then said "Okay, we'll help you find your friend. But afterwards, we want to join you to take down Saren."

Natasha raised her eyebrow at this. "Sure, but why?"

"Because the bastard might get away scott free!" exclaimed an angry Garrus. "As a SPECTRE, we weren't able to find  **any**  evidence to arrest him for Eden Prime. The idea that he can just get away with that? Not gonna happen. Please, let us help you."

Natasha and Steve huddled together to talk it over. About a minute later, Steve held out his hand to Garrus, with Natasha doing the same for Rika. "Welcome to the team, Vakarian. Goemon."

Shaking their hands, Rika asked "So now we storm the Den?"

"No," I answered, "now we go to C-Sec and recruit Urdnot Wrex and his partner to help us."

"Way ahead of ya, kiddo."

Turning around, we were greeted by Kerry and a krogan. Said krogan being the most badass of all krogan who ever existed:  **Urdnot mother-effin' Wrex**. With his blood-red armor, the scars across his face and red plate, and a look in his eyes that said  _I can shoot you dead just for breathing_ , he practically  **oozed**  badassery.

Wrex then let out a throaty chuckle that could make a petty crook shit their pants in fear. "Well, isn't this a surprise. Azrael and Deadpool, going after another one of my contracts. Some things never change."

Malak sauntered over to him and shook his hand like he was an old friend. "It is good to see you again, my friend. I assume you got the details from Kerry?"

"Yeah, she filled me in," Wrex said as he walked up to us. "Though I'd like to give you all fair warning, as one warrior to another...I'm going to  **kill**  Fist."

Taking her gaze away from the krogan, Natasha said "Duly noted. Alright everyone, let's move! We've got a club to storm!"

* * *

As we entered the dimly lit alley way leading to the club, Garrus stopped us to go over the layout. He took out a holograph of the Den and started laying out the battle plan. "Alright, Chora's Den is about seven floors high, with enough room on each floor to hold about a small platoon. Fist's office is on the seventh floor, and the only way to get there," he said pointing to a few areas on each floor, "are the staircases. Each staircase leads to the next floor, and each staircase is on the opposite side from the last. That means we're most likely going to have to fight our way up to get to Fist.

"Now, Fist is most likely expecting us, so he's going to have the Den locked down and prepped like a fortress. He'll have as many of his goons guarding him as possible, so expect heavy resistance. His force includes the Blue Suns, a few LOKI mechs, and two krogan bodyguards. So here's how we do this: we go in as one group, and we shoot everything that move that is outside our group. Any questions?"

Silence filled the alley before Bronson spoke up. "Yeah, are you sure that's all we'll be facing? No Blood Pack? YMIR mechs? A geth Prime, perhaps?"

Sighing, I took out  _Morning Glory_  and started loading it up. "Also, should we knock once?" I held it up locked and loaded. "Or twice?"

Wrex grinned and said "The more, the better." In response, he set his shotgun to fire a Carnage round. I guess he want's in on the opening action, too.

We all then charged toward the Den, guns primed and ready to kick ass. As soon as we reached the entrance, everyone made room for me to work my magic. The door opened, and before the mechs guarding the door could respond, I screamed out  **"BOOYAHKASHAAA, MOTHERFUCKERS!"**  Two seconds later, all three of the mechs were scrap metal.

All hell broke lose after that. The rest of the team charged in and started shooting up the place, with the Blue Suns returning fire from both sides of the room. Wrex held up his shotgun and blew four of the mercs away with the Carnage blast. Grinning, he went on to kill the rest of the mercs with his shotgun. Bronson followed right behind him, swinging his broadsword at a few LOKI mechs that came out of the wall. As he brought his blade down at the last one's head, a thump emanated from behind him. He turned and saw Malak standing there, a Blue Suns merc laying headless at his feet.

Kerry, Kaidan, and Natasha were leading the pack on their side of the room, taking down LOKI mechs with Overloads and Warps (coincidentally, Kerry was a Sentinel like Natasha). Following close behind, Steve, Ashley, and Rika were mowing down the mechs coming from behind (it was here I discovered that Rika was an Infiltrator). A few shots later, and the first floor was cleared out of enemies.

Making our way to the stair case, I stopped everyone and said "Maybe I should go first. After all, I do have a shield that can take a round from a dreadnought on my arm, so I can provide protection for everyone else."

Taking a few seconds to decide, Steve said "Alright, but Wrex and I are going right behind you. We can help provide covering fire for the others." Nodding, I activated my Omni-shield and made my way up the stairs, Wrex following right behind. As we reached the top of the stairs, I held up my hand to signal a full stop.

Walking ahead slowly, I held up my shield and peeked out the entryway just enough to get a view of the right side. Coincidentally, that exposed myself just enough for one of the Blue Suns to take a shot at me. A shot that was blocked by my shield, sending me staggering backwards into Wrex. "Okay, you can take it from here."

Steve rushed ahead and threw a bunch of grenades into the room. A few seconds later, and explosions sent Blue Suns flying backwards. Wrex took that time to charge into the room and opened fire on anything moving. The rest of us quickly followed suit and cleared out the second floor in no time flat. "Huh," Bronson said. "Guess they weren't expecting anyone to make it past the first floor."

Rika then fired a round into a security camera. "Well, they'll be expecting us now. So I suggest we get moving before-"

" _They're on the second floor! Everyone, retreat to floor six! Make sure no one gets up to the top, NO ONE!"_

Groaning, Rika said "-Fist catches on."

"Well, at least it'll be a breeze heading up to the 6th floor," Bronson said jokingly. Unfortunately for him, that had earned him a venomous glare from Natasha and Ashley as they held up their guns. "Shutting up," he said meekly.

He was right, at least. With all the other mercs up on the 6th floor, all we had to deal with were a few LOKI mechs on floors 3 through 5 (which were easily mowed down by our superior firepower). However, as we were about to head up to the 6th floor, we stopped to consider the situation. "Okay, seeing as the rest of the mercs are up there, we can't just go in there guns blazing. We need a plan."

Garrus was right. We needed a plan, and fast. Before anyone could speak, Rika appeared out of thin air. "They put up a makeshift barricade at the top of the stairs," she said. "I guess they're trying to funnel us in and take us out one at a time."

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

Before we could say anything, we heard a series of mighty explosions coming from the 6th floor. "What the Hell?!" Ashley exclaimed.

 _"You're welcome,"_  I heard a voice tell me. I didn't really pay much attention to it, as I was rushing up to find out what that noise was all about. What we found was a total warzone. Scorch marks everywhere, body parts flung all around, chunks of the room blown to bits. There were no survivors.

"...Makes my job easier," Wrex shrugged. "Come on, pyjaks, let's move."

We brought ourselves from our stupor and headed to the staircase that would take us to the 7th floor. Halfway up, we heard heavy footsteps coming our way, a few seconds later, a krogan charged us and knocked us back down the stairs. Coming to a bit later, I looked up in time to see the two krogan bodyguards having a row with Kaidan, Malak, and Garrus.

Realizing that they didn't even notice me, I activated my Omni-sword and took out my Desert Eagle, then charged toward to nearest krogan. I leaped onto his back, and dug by blade in as he started thrashing about in an attempt to shake me off. I withdrew the blade, then dug it into a spot between the krogan's skin and his plate. That got him to stop instantly.

Taking this opportunity, I aimed my Desert Eagle and kneecapped the other krogan. The others took this opportunity to aim their guns at him to keep him down. I turned my attention to the krogan I had my blade in and asked "Is the quarian still alive?"

Trembling in terror, he replied "Yeah. She's with Fist in his office."

I twisted my blade, causing the krogan to wince as his plate creaked. "Are there any other guards around?"

"No. Fist is all out of mechs, too. Please, don't do it. Don't take off my plate. Please."

The kneecapped krogan spoke up. "Please. He's my little brother. Have mercy on him."

By that point, the krogan under by blade was starting to cry. Taking pity on him, I withdrew my blade from the krogan's plate, and he fell to the floor shaking.

"Leave," I said. "Find a new line of work. A legal line of work. Maybe in shipping. And if I  **ever**  find you even  **associating**  with another gang..."

Getting up, he said "You won't. Thank you. We won't forget this." The two of them ran as fast as their legs could carry them, and they were gone.

"How did you know where to stick a blade in a krogan's plate area?" asked a nervous and awestruck Wrex.

Smiling a shit-eating grin that he couldn't see, I replied "Don't worry, Wrex. I won't abuse the knowledge. At least on  **you** , anyway."

Shaking his head, the old krogan muttered "May the heavens have pity and mercy on whichever krogan manages to piss you off."

We gathered ourselves and made our way back up the stairs. As we reached the top, we saw the door that led into Fist's office. "So," I said, "who want's to knock?"

Wrex, Steve, and Ashley then proceeded to unleash a pack of Carnage shots, blasting the door to smithereens. Natasha, Rika, Garrus, Bronson, and I charged through the wreckage and came face to face with a surprised Fist. Reacting quickly, he lunged forward and grabbed a cuffed Tali, using her as a living shield. "Stay back!" he yelled, holding a gun to her head. "One more step and her brains paint my walls!"

With venom in my voice, I growled "Fist, you so much as scratch her  **mask** , we  **will**  end you."

His eyes darted across the room as the rest of the team entered. I could see it in his eyes: he knew he was outnumbered. "Look, here's how this is gonna go down: I walk out of here, grab a sky car, and you can have the quarian as she is. Try making any funny moves, the first thing she loses is a finger."

"You're not getting away with this, you bosh'tet!" Tali said defiantly.

"Can it, suit rat!" He punctuated his statement by hitting her head with the butt of his gun. Grinding my teeth in frustration, I had to stop myself from lunging to strangle the bastard.  _Damn it, isn't there anything I can do?_

I felt a sudden surge of power course through my body. I recognized this sensation: it was my golden biotics welling up inside me.  _"You have one shot,"_  a warm voice said in my head. It was different from Hikari's voice. For one thing, it was  **male**. Plus, it had more emotion behind the words. It didn't matter, though. I knew what to do.

"You really think you can get out of this alive, Fist?" I asked. That caught his attention.

With Fist turning his gaze at me, I continued, "Wrex is a ruthless mercenary who would probably kill his brother without a second thought. Garrus was willing to take a shot at a criminal that was using a human shield. Natasha Shepard...she would open fire in an instant." His focus stayed on me, not noticing I was using my biotics to lift a small glass behind him.  _God, how did Shepard manage to get through this in the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC?_  "Considering the fact that this room is filled with trained killers, your escape plan better not simply involve us being unwilling to shoot a hostage, Fist."

Panic was in his eyes as he turned his gun at me. "You're- you're bluffing! You'd nev-  **UNH!"**

His sentence was cut short as I flung the glass straight at the back of his head. This gave Tali enough of an opening to kick the bastard and jump out of the way. As I ran over to shield her, Fist raised his gun to shoot, missed, and fell to the ground as everyone else gunned him down. Despite the fact that I was glad he was dead, I was still a bit queasy about the fact that I just saw a living being get shot to death.

Turning away from his corpse, I refocused on Tali as I took off her cuffs. "Are you okay? Did he puncture your suit, do anything to-"

"I'm fine," she said reassuringly as she rubbed the back of her head. "The only thing he did to hurt me was pistol whip the back of my head." Looking straight at me, she quietly said "You saved my life twice now. I...I can't thank you enough for this. No one else would even bother to...thank you." She then wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug, softly beginning to cry.

Returning her hug, I said "Hey, its okay. You're safe now. You're safe." We seemed to stay like that for hours, sitting on the floor as she cried into my shoulder. She must have been so scared. Hell, for all I knew, she might have been killed by Fist anyway. If that happened…well, I'm just glad it didn't come to that.

After a few minutes, Tali managed to collect herself and got off of the floor with me. Thankfully, the others decided to give us some space. Walking out of the office, Natasha said "Come on. We've got a rogue SPECTRE to take down."

* * *

_The Council Chambers, 1 hour later…_

* * *

"Please, just give us some more time," Udina said pleadingly as we walked toward the Council. "They'll be here any minute."

" _We've waited long enough,"_  Saren said through his projection.  _"If the Council would please get this over with, I'd like to put these accusations behind me."_

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Anderson said.

Looking right at him, Saren said  _"Why is it that every time humanity makes false charges against me,_ _ **you**_ _are involved, Captain Anderson?"_

"Everyone, calm down," said Tevos, desperately trying to defuse the tension. "Ambassadors, if you can't produce the necessary evidence, I'm afraid we'll have to bring this hearing to a close."

Udina and Raan hung their heads in defeat, knowing they had run out of time. That's when we entered the proceedings. "You want proof, Councilors?" I asked as everyone focused on us. God the look on Udina's face. I wish I had a camera. Same goes for Saren, the smug bastard. "We've got your proof. Straight from a geth on Eden Prime. Tali, if you would?"

Fiddling with her Omni-tool, Tali played the recording.

" _The beacon is on Eden Prime. We will get it, and be one step closer to finding the Conduit."_

" _And one step more to the return of the Reapers."_

The silence in the room was so rich, you could practically taste it. Looking at Saren's holographic form, I smiled and said "Try talking your way out of  **this** , Arterius."

The rest of the Council looked at him in shock. "Saren? Explain yourself." Sparatus didn't receive an answer. Saren was caught with the smoking gun, and he knew it.

"Well?" asked a smug Natasha. "We're waiting."

Turning toward us, he chuckled in silent fury. A fury he immediately let out.  _"You...you think this a victory? You think you've won? That you've accomplished something? **YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING, YOU FILTHY HUMANS! YOU THINK THIS IS OVER? THAT IT ENDS HERE?! I SWEAR TO THE SPIRITS, THIS WILL ONLY END WHEN YOUR SPECIES, AND ALL YOUR ALLIES, ARE WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE GALAXY! WHEN YOUR WORLDS BURN, WHEN YOUR FAMILIES LAY IN SMOLDERING HEAPS OF BURNT COPSES, WHEN THE SKIES OF YOUR CITIES ARE COVERED IN SMOKE FROM THE FIRES OF DESTRUCTION, THAT IS WHEN IT WILL BE OVER! THAT IS WHEN IT WILL END! AND AS THE LAST HUMAN DIES, KNOW THAT YOUR RACE WAS ENDED BY MY HANDS, YOU FILTHY PIECES OF PRIMITIVE TRASH!"**_

As he breathed heavily from the end of his rant, the room was again silent. This time, from the shocking revelation that one of the greatest SPECTREs to ever live, a person the Council put their trust in...was a raving, genocidal lunatic. A raving, genocidal lunatic that just ousted himself to the galactic community. Coughing a bit to break the tension, I asked "You done yet?"

Regaining as much of himself as he could, he growled  _"I am far from done, human."_  He then cut the feed, leaving the room again bathed in silence.

...

...

...

"I  **love**  hanging out with you guys!" exclaimed Bronson. "You always know how to show someone a good time."

Deciding to ignore him, we turned our attention to the Council. "So, what now?" I asked.

Sparatus shook his head in shame. "Your evidence, coupled with Saren's admittance of guilt, proves without a doubt that he is a threat to everyone. His SPECTRE status shall be revoked, and all efforts will be done to bring him to justice."

"I recognize the other voice in the recording," added Tevos. "That was Matriarch Benezia."

"Who's she?" asked Steve.

"Matriarchs are powerful asari who have entered the final stage of their lives, and are revered for their wisdom and experience. They serve as guides and mentors to my people. Benezia is a powerful biotic and had many followers; she will make a formidable ally for Saren and his geth."

"I'm more interested about this Conduit, and the part about Reapers," interjected Valern. "What exactly are they?"

"We don't know what the Conduit is," answered Natasha, "but Michael can tell you about the Reapers. He seems to know the most about them, according to Captain Anderson."

Walking up to the Council, I said "The Reapers are an advanced race of machines that were responsible for the Protheans' sudden disappearance. Every 50,000 years, they come to our galaxy to wipe out every form of organic life, erase all knowledge of their existence, and then retreat back into dark space so they aren't found by accident before the next cycle begins. The geth sees them as the pinnacle of synthetic life, and are following Saren because he believes he can bring about the Reaper's return."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Sparatus said "Would you listen to yourself? You're saying that Saren wants to bring back the machines that destroyed the Protheans? Impossible, it has to be."

"Well, Saren  **did**  just say he wants to wipe out all humans  **and**  those who stand with them as allies," Garrus said. "Maybe he's crazy enough to believe that if he sees the Reapers as the tool that will accomplish his goals."

"If so, then we can't waste any time!" stated Udina. "You need to send your fleets out into the Traverse and bring him in!"

"Doing so could start a war with the Terminus systems, Ambassador Udina," Valern said. "We're not going to risk sending our fleets out to catch him."

"Well," I said, "there is one way to catch him that  **won't**  start a war with the Terminus Systems. If you want to catch a SPECTRE, then send a SPECTRE."

Tevos' eyes lit up. "He's right. And I think we all know just who to send."

Sparatus stood defiantly. "No! It's too soon! Humanity isn't ready for the responsibilities of joining the SPECTREs."

"You send a SPECTRE out to bring Saren down, and the Alliance gets on of their own into the SPECTREs. Everyone wins," Natasha said bluntly.

The Councilors looked at each other before nodding in agreement (though Sparatus did so reluctantly). Entering something into their consoles, Tevos then spoke up. "Commanders Steven and Natasha Shepard. Michael Anderson. Step forward."

My mind went blank at that.  _Did she just call up_ _ **both**_ _of their names? Did she just call out_ _ **my**_ _name?_  Steve pats me on the back, bringing me out of my stupor. Joining the others in the limelight we were suddenly thrust into, I couldn't help but feel nervous as everyone watched us. As everyone watched  **me**.

"It is the decision of the Council that the three of you receive all powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel," said Tevos.

"SPECTREs are not trained, but chosen," said Valern. "Individuals forged in the fires of service and battle, those whose actions elevate them above the rank of fire."

"SPECTREs are an ideal, a symbol, the embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance," continued Tevos. "They are the right hand of the Council, instruments of our will."

"SPECTREs carry a great burden," continued Sparatus. "They are the protectors of galactic peace, both our first and last line of defense. The safety of the galaxy is their's to uphold."

Tevos went on to say "You three are the first human SPECTREs. This is a great accomplishment for each of you,  **and**  your entire species."

At that point, the full gravity of the situation set in. I had just been made a SPECTRE alongside Commanders Shepard and Shepard, the first of our species. We were now protectors of the galaxy. Humbled, I bowed and said "It's an honor, Councilor."

Following suit, Steve bowed and said "Thank you, Councilor."

Natasha simply smiled and said "It's about damn time. So what happens now?"

"We're sending the three of you into the Traverse after Saren," said Valern. "He's a fugitive from justice, so you are all authorized to use any means necessary to either bring him in or eliminate him."

Nodding, I said "We'll find him, Councilors."

_And when we do, I'm going to see to it that he pays for everything he's done. Count on it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, that was something! With three SPECTREs on the case, you know Saren's gonna get his!
> 
> Also, I know that this was a long chapter. But with the whole assault on Fist's club, you've got to admit that it was worth it.
> 
> One more thing: I do not own the character Django, or anything related to him. My OC is simply a person giving homage to his favorite movie character in the best way he can. You know what they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
> 
> Anyway, read and review, and stay tuned for the next chapter. No flames, because flamers will be shot. Survivors will be shot in the head.


	8. Journey's Start, Pt 3: The Adventure Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own NOTHING related to Mass Effect. That right goes to Bioware. I do, however, own my Original Characters and this story.

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

It's amazing what can happen in a single day.

To recap, I woke up today fighting for my life to escape from a facility of mechs wanting to kill me. Not only that, I had discovered that I was transported from my universe into a universe that I believed only existed in video games. From then on, I was shot at by geth, went a round with a rogue SPECTRE, led an unplanned rescue mission on a geth ship, and practically flew from said ship to the  _Normandy_. And that was all in the course of a few hours.

15 hours later, I learned that I had been in this universe for a year already (amnesia is a bitch), and was adopted as Captain David Anderson's son. When I got to the Citadel, I got new gear from my employers (a friendlier-looking Cerberus), helped recruit a few more people to the team, assaulted a club run by a criminal, exposed the rogue SPECTRE as a madman, and was made one of the first human SPECTRES. Now, I was given the mission of helping the other two SPECTRES track down the ex-SPECTRE, to use whatever means necessary, with a multi-species crew on the most advanced ship from the Alliance.

Again, I say that it is amazing what can happen in a single day. Which is exactly what I had said to Garrus and his friend, Rika, as we headed toward C-Sec. Minus the part about me being from another universe, of course.

"Wow," muttered an astonished Rika.

"I know, right?" I responded. Turning to Garrus, I continued though you must've kept yourselves busy while I was gone. Got any good stories for me?"

Flashing a turian grin, Garrus said "Well, there was this one time last year. Rika and I busted a batarian spy ring. They were planning on selling secrets about the Council to the Hegemony. When we confronted them, they were holding our contact, Barla Von, at gunpoint." He shook his head in amazement, then said "We were only able to save him when a hotheaded human male barged through a doorway, started spraying the contents of a fire extinguisher at the batarians, and proceeded to slam the canister into the face of the one pointing a gun at Barla Von. The two of us then proceeded to use stun rounds and arrested every single spy."

Taking up where he finished, Rika went on to say "That brought us straight into our next adventure. After that incident, we treated the kid to some food, and eventually got caught up in a conspiracy against the Alliance. We helped the kid out, especially when we tracked down a research facility that was performing human experiments." She frowned at that point. I was willing to take a guess that she didn't like what she saw. "The things that went on in there…no one should have to go through that. So we helped you free the surviving prisoners, set the facility to self-destruct, and fought our way past some kind of monster before escaping the base. After that, Garrus and I went back to work, and we didn't hear from you again. Until today, that is."

I sat in amazement at the two of them. I didn't know if they were making it all up or not, but if they were telling the truth, then-hang on. "Did you just say…that I was the one who sprayed down a spy ring?" I asked incredulously. "And that you helped me take down a clandestine research facility?  **Last year?!"**

"Yeah," Garrus answered with a chuckle. "That little adventure happened a few months before your disappearing act. Though not before someone got involved with a fight on the docks. Eyewitnesses claim that a human was nearly beaten to death by some kind of wild animal." Pausing to think, Garrus hummed and continued "The guy's body was never found after the creature was killed, though. Neither was the creature's. I'd hate to think that it's still on the Citadel, somewhere."

I shuddered at that thought. Then proceeded to think about something else. "Hey, guys? If you don't mind, I'm going to go get something from the requisitions office. Wanna come with?"

Nodding, they followed me down the stairs to meet the turian behind the desk. After verifying my SPECTRE status, he opened the rare stocks, allowing me to get some things that Garrus and Rika might need on this journey. Garrus got some higher grade Agent armor, a Mantis sniper rifle, a Vindicator assault rifle, and a Hades Nexus Omni-tool; Rika received some medium Onyx armor, a Phalanx heavy pistol, a Viper sniper rifle, and a Logic Arrest Omni-tool. After purchasing quite a few grenades and armor upgrades for the others, we headed to the elevator that took us up to the docks. Reaching the top, we were greeted by Natasha, Steve, Anderson, Udina, and Raan, waiting for us by the  _Normandy_. I took this time to fully take in the sight and appreciate it. I was standing right next to one of  **the**  most advanced ships in the galaxy. Hell, the  _Normandy_  would eventually become the most  **famous**  ships in the galaxy. Granted, not the same ship, but still. And I was going to be serving alongside its Commanding Officers.

Udina's coughing brought me back to reality. "Michael, Commander Shepard, Lieutenant-Commander Shepard, I have good news for the three of you. Anderson is stepping down as the Commanding Officer of the  _Normandy_. The ship is yours now."

The look on Anderson's face showed that it wasn't that simple. "What's going on, Anderson?" asked Steve.

"I'll tell you what's going on," Natasha said while glaring at Udina. "Some political  **douche bag** forced Anderson to retire so we could take his ship."

"Natasha, you and I both know that you three needed a ship," Anderson calmly said. "The  _Normandy_  is a fast ship. She's quick and quiet, and the best ship in the Alliance."

"Besides," Raan continued, "the three of you are familiar with the crew, and at least two of you know the ship inside and out." Looking at me, she went on to say "Plus, it will be nice to know that Tali is in safe hands."

Nodding, I said "So, what do we do from here?"

"For starters, don't bother looking for Saren," Anderson answered. "That bastard's long gone by now. Instead, you should focus on finding any leads about the Conduit that you can."

"Raan and I have had reports about geth attacking one of our colonies in the Traverse. A planet called Feros," Udina said. "Also, there are rumors of geth on Noveria."

Raan took this opportunity to put in her own two cents. "There's one other lead we would like you to follow. We'd suggest looking for Dr. Liara T'Soni. She's Matriarch Benezia's daughter. Last we heard, she was somewhere in the Knossos system of the Artemis Tau cluster."

Shrugging, I said "Good a place to start as any. Hopefully she can be a big help to us."

"Just remember," Udina said glaring at the three of us, "the three of you were human long before you were SPECTREs. Anything and  **everything**  you do reflects upon the Alliance as a whole. So if you do anything embarrassing, Raan and I will be stuck with cleaning up  **your**  mess."

Raising his hands reassuringly, Steve said "Relax Udina, we'll make sure not to give you... **too much**  of a headache."

The ambassador started rubbing his temples as he headed to the elevator. "That is  **exactly**  what I'm afraid of." Raan nodded to us, then went to join him at the elevator, leaving the three of us, plus Garrus and Rika (who decided to stay out of this), alone with Anderson on the docks.

"Well, all I can say now is good luck," Anderson said. "To all of you. And if you do find Saren out there, be sure to kick his ass for me." With that, he turned and went to join the others at the embassy.

Looking at the others, I rubbed my hands together and said "So, what do you say we hop on board and get this thing started?"

* * *

After a long time in the decontamination area (please note that it is boring as all H-E-Double Hockey Sticks), we boarded the  _Normandy_  and split up to our own areas. Steve, Natasha and I went up to where Joker was stationed. "Hey, guys," he said. "I heard what happened to Captain Anderson. Survived a hundred battles, only to get taken down by backroom politics." Turning himself to face us, he continued "Just watch yourselves out there. Things go bad on this mission, and you're going to be the ones on the chopping block."

"This...this feels wrong," I said. "Anderson should be the one in charge here. This is his ship, after all."

"I know what you mean," Steve said sympathetically. "It feels like we're stealing the ship from him."

"Hey, I'll admit that it feels wrong. Anderson was practically screwed over by politicians. But if he would want anyone taking over for him, he'd be glad it's you three."

Smiling, Jane said "Yeah, and he'll be even more glad when he sees Saren where he belongs: behind bars."

"Yeah, everyone on this ship is behind you on that, 100%." Turning back toward the controls, Joker continued "Intercom's open. If any of you have anything to say to the crew, now's the time to say it."

After a few seconds of silence, Steve said "Attention, crew. This is Commander Steve Shepard, Commander Natasha Shepard, and Michael Anderson speaking. We have our orders. Find Saren before he finds the Conduit. We won't lie to you, crew. This mission won't be easy."

Natasha picked up at that point. "For too long, the Alliance has stood apart from the others. Now it's time to step up and show the rest of the galaxy what we're made of."

I stepped in at that point. "This all began when Saren attacked Eden Prime, a human settlement in the Traverse. But he won't stop there. He and his geth won't stay on the fringes of Citadel space. It's up to us to find him and bring him down."

"Our enemy knows we're coming," continued Steve. "When we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. But we'll be waiting for them, too."

Natasha took in a deep breath before saying her part. "The Alliance needs to do this. Not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every species in Citadel space. Saren must be stopped. And I promise you... **we WILL stop him**!"

Even from here, we could hear the entire ship erupt into cheers of agreement. They knew the score. They understood what was at stake. And they would help see to it that Saren would get his. "Nice job, guys," Joker said with a smile. "Captain Anderson would be proud."

Nodding, I turned and said "Anderson gave up everything to give us this chance. We  **cannot** , and  **will not** fail!"

"Damn right, sir."

At that point, the three of us headed to the Galaxy Map to set our destination. After setting a course for the Artemis Tau cluster (I managed to convince them to look for Liara first), Steve decided to give me a tour of the ship. "So, as you can tell, this is the CIC. This is pretty much the main hub of the ship. Our XO, Pressley, works up here with Joker." Pointing to the bald-headed man nodding at us, Steve continued "The Comm Room is right behind the Galaxy Map. It's also where we'll be taking private communications with the Council, as well as where the ground team members will be meeting after every major mission."

_Well, I guess it's pretty big, then. Here's hoping it has a table with chairs._

He then led me down to the next deck to continue the tour. "That elevator takes you down to Decks 3 and 4. From what I heard, Wrex, Garrus, and Ashley took up stations in the Cargo Bay, while Tali has a position working in with Engineer Adams at the Drive Core, both on Deck 4. Deck 3 contains the Officers' Quarters, where you and the others on the team will be sleeping."

Wow. This ship was  **obviously**  bigger than it was in the game if the ground team members were able to have a floor for their own quarters. I just hope we have enough room for when Liara joins up. "Here on Deck 2," continued Steve, "is the Mess Hall, where everyone will be eating. This deck also has sleeper pods for the rest of the crew. However, seeing as there aren't a lot on hand, each crew member has their own assigned time to use it. Also on this deck is the Med Bay, where Dr. Chakwas is stationed. Speaking of which, maybe you should go get a check up from her. Just to be safe."

Nodding, I said that I would before deciding to look around the rest of the ship. I first went down to Deck 4, mainly to check in on Tali. Upon entering the Cargo Bay, the first thing that entered my mind was that it was extremely dim-lit. So much so that I was only able to barely make out the forms of Garrus, Wrex, and Ashley. Heading over to where Ashley was, I tapped her shoulder and asked "How's everything going, Ash?"

Turning to face me, she smiled and answered "Not bad. I especially like being able to work on all these kick ass weapons with Bronson. The guy really knows his stuff."

Nodding, I noticed something was up with Ashley, "So, what exactly is bothering you then, Gunny?" Natasha asked before I could.

_'_ _Jesus, that woman needs to learn to make noises when she walks.'_

Ashley quickly saluted upon seeing her. "Oh, sorry ma'am, it's nothing you need to be concerned with."

"Gunny," Natasha said, "it's okay. You can tell us anything."

Glancing at Wrex, she whispered "You sure about that?"

"Whatever you have to say," Wrex grumbled from where he was, "just say it already."

At that point, Ashley decided there was no getting out of it. Taking a deep breath, she said "Okay then. Look, I know this is you're ship-"

"As well as Steve's and Michael's," Natasha interrupted.

"Right, and I know you guys are running things differently. But, are you three sure we can trust the aliens? Vakarian and Wrex, I mean."

Natasha's left eyebrow arched at that. "You don't trust them?"

"To be honest, ma'am, I don't really trust aliens in general. Well, I don't trust that they'll remain as our allies, anyway," Ashley answered. "Think about it this way, ma'am, if you're fighting a bear, and the only way to escape is to sic your dog on it, you'll do it. No matter how much you love your dog, it isn't human."

At that point, Natasha had a deep, visible frown on her face. "I'll have you know that I faced down a fucking Thresher Maw, Gunny, and I can confidently and truthfully say that I  **never**  had to sacrifice Lucy to survive."

"Who?" I asked confusedly.

"My German Shepherd," she answered. "She was pretty much the mascot of my squadron. Always kept our spirits up." Smiling a melancholy smile, she continued "Brought her with us everywhere…even to that hellhole Akuze. The last of my squad had to take turns carrying her as we made our way to the shelters after she lost a leg to that fucking worm. Lucy and I made it. The others…weren't as lucky." Returning to her frown, she continued "So I don't think that's a very good analogy to cover up racism, Gunny."

 _Damn. She and her team risked their lives...just to save a **dog?**_ I thought.  _If she was **that**  loyal to an animal, just how much does her loyalty run for her allies?_

I returned to reality just as Ashley was saying "It's not racism, not really, anyway. All I'm saying is, in the situation I just described, the Council may be our allies now. However, if push comes to shove, they'll send us at the proverbial bear just to save themselves."

"Maybe," Steve said as he walked up to us with Malak right behind him, "but that doesn't mean we should start treating them as if we don't need their help."

"To be honest, sir, I think we'd have better luck without them. The Alliance needs to learn to stand on its own, make our own destiny. Not act as lapdogs to those who think we're their new pets," Ashley said with conviction.

Silence ruled for a few seconds. "Damn, Ash," I said. "Those seem to be pretty strong beliefs."

"Yeah," she replied, "it comes from being a Williams. But honestly, I don't think I could bring myself to trust aliens even if I  **wasn't**  a Williams."

"You might be right, Ashley," Malak said calmly. "Maybe the Council can't be trusted to help us if the time comes. But that doesn't mean we can't still be allies with them. Besides, we're new to the galactic scene, even with the quarians and A.I.s helping us out. And to the rest of the galaxy, the Alliance look like power-hungry upstarts, wanting to control everything. If making our own destiny includes putting ourselves above the others, then I say it's a pretty crappy destiny."

Now it was Ashley's turn to be stunned into silence. "So what, you're saying that aliens have a right to get in our way if they feel threatened by us?"

He shrugged. "Why not?" he asked with a smile. "Isn't that what we do to those who threaten us?"

With that, Ashley was visibly surprised with the answer. Before replying, Joker said  _"We're about three minutes out from the Mass Relay. If anyone has anything to do before we enter the Artemis Tau cluster, I'd take care of it pronto."_

"Guess we'll have to continue this another time," Steve said. "So, Tasha, who's going on the ground team with you?"

Thinking it over a bit, she activated her Omni-tool to contact the rest of the squad. "Wrex, Michael, Garrus, Rika, you four are coming down with me. Gear up and head to the Cargo Bay."

* * *

_**Ten minutes later...** _

* * *

As soon as Rika walked out of the elevator, she joined up with us by the  _Mako_. "Okay, the mission is simple. Find Dr. T'Soni, get her back to the  _Normandy_ , gun down anything in our way. Any questions?"

I raised my hand and asked "Who's driving?"

Natasha gave me a smile that sent chills down my spine. "Me."

_God have mercy on our souls._

Before we piled in, I stopped in front of the others and said "Wait. Before we head out, I've got something I wanted to ask you. While we're out on missions, would you guys mind calling me Atlas?"

They all held looks of confusion on their faces. "Sure," Garrus said, "but, why?"

Shrugging, I answered "Call me paranoid, but I'd feel a lot safer if no one we fought knew my real identity. Makes it harder to target those closest to me that way."

Natasha nodded at that. "Understandable. Alright, during missions, we'll refer to you as Atlas."

"How come  **he**  gets a codename and the rest of us don't?" asked Rika. The other murmured in agreement, causing Rika to continue "If **he**  gets one, then I say so do the rest of us."

Sighing, Natasha said "Fine."

Smiling, Rika said "Cool, then my codename will be...Kunoichi, after the female ninja. Garrus, you'll be..." Looking at his sniper rifle, and remembering his perfect headshot back at the clinic, she finished her thought by answering "Sharp shot." Nodding, she went on to say "And Wrex. Your codename will be...Carnage." That caused him to grin widely. Which actually made him even more scary looking. "As for Natasha, that's an easy one. Your codename can be the Black Widow." This resulted in a few confused looks directed at her. "What? She's deadly, quiet, and she practically  **looks**  like the Black Widow. Am I the only one who sees it?" Ignoring her, we all entered the  _Mako_  and waited for our destination.

* * *

After Steve and Joker were able to locate the planet Liara was on (the only planet with Prothean ruins on it), Joker brought us down to Therum's surface before the  _Mako_  launched out of the ship and landed on the surface below. A few bumps later, and the first analysis was that we were still in one piece. Then there was the next obstacle: Shepard's driving.

As Natasha started driving forward, Joker called us over the radio.  _"Commander, I'm getting some strange readings from the planet's surface. I mean, really strange, like off the damn charts. I'd suggest keeping an eye out, ma'am."_

As we continued on, I waited until we were driving on a straight path before getting out of my seat and heading to where Natasha sat. Knowing what was bound to happen, I said "Maybe we should stay on guard, Black Widow. For all we know, this are is crawling with-"

**"GETH!"**

Sure enough, Garrus was right. A geth drop ship swooped down in front of us and dropped two geth Armatures in an attempt to stop us.  _I hate being right._

Natasha silently swore and said "Carnage! Take position in the gun. We're going to turn these glorified tin cans into scrap metal!"

Grinning like a madman, Wrex grabbed a hold of the gun controls and started unleashing a barrage of rounds at the two Armatures. While he was doing this, Natasha was driving around, trying to keep the  _Mako_ from getting blasted to pieces.  **"Hold still, Widow!"** Wrex cried out.  **"I can barely hit anything with your driving!"**

" **Sorry!"**  she replied,  **"You're just going to have to work with what you have!"**

 _Easy for you to say_ , I thought.  _All you're doing is *urp* driving around. *ugh* Very badly, too._

About three minutes of continuous gunfire later, both Armatures were reduced to smoldering pieces of tech. Leaning over to Natasha, I said "You know, Widow, we could probably salvage those Armatures for any useful tech. I bet Tali would also like a chance to study it to improve our chances against the geth in the future."

Thinking about it for a minute, Natasha said "Alright then. Kunoichi, Sharp shot, you two are coming out with me. We'll salvage what we can from the flashlights and continue onward. Carnage, Atlas, you two stay put and keep an eye out. I don't want anyone sneaking up on us."

Exiting the  _Mako_ , the three went to salvage what they could while Wrex and I just sat quietly in the armored vehicle. And to be honest, I'm currently content to simply sit here in peace and quiet, even if it's with someone as scary as Wrex. "So," he said, "why Atlas?"

"What?" I asked.

Wrex turned to me and asked "Why are you called Atlas, kid? And where did you get that name?"

Pausing for a few seconds, I slowly asked "If I tell you, do you promise to keep quiet about it?"

Shrugging, he said "Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not it's a good enough secret."

I sighed. "Fine. It's…it's a codename I received when I woke up in a facility on Eden Prime. The facility belonged to an Alliance black ops organization called Cerberus, and they're the ones who apparently spent a lot of time and money to save my life. Besides, Atlas sounds pretty cool, don't you think?"

"Mm-hm," he calmly said. "So why hide this from the others?"

"Well," I answered, "it's because they currently believe that I lived on Eden Prime my whole life. The only ones who know differently are Captain Anderson, a woman named Kahlee Sanders, possibly Udina, and now, you." Before he could ask, I said "Trust me, if I told you where I  **actually**  came from, you'd think I was insane."

He stared for a few seconds. "Fair enough. I guess I can keep quiet for now." Leaning back in his seat, he continued "But you'll have to tell the others the truth eventually, kid. Trust me when I say this: secrets have a way of biting you in the ass."

Looking down, I said "I know, Wrex. But I can't just tell them. I have to do it when the time is right, you know?"

He nodded. "So, what exactly  **is**  Atlas?" he asked curiously.

"Not  **what,**  Wrex," I replied.  **"Who.**  Atlas was a figure in Greek mythology, a Titan who bore the entire weight of the heavens on his shoulders. That was his punishment for fighting against the Olympian gods and goddesses."

"Huh. Hate to go up against someone who's strong enough to hold up the heavens."

At that moment, the others came in with a trove of geth technology. "Okay," Natasha said, "I think we've got enough here. Let's move out."

_Great. We get to go through even **more**  of Natasha's driving._

From then on, we spent the whole time shooting up geth, salvaging their remains, turning unnecessary items into Omni-gel, and trying to keep our center while in motion (which is hard when Natasha is behind the wheel, by the way). Also, I learned what krogan vomit looked like.

_Oh, how I wish there was a jug of mind bleach nearby._

Eventually, we reached the spot where we had to abandon the  _Mako_  and go the rest of the way on foot. Taking out our weapons, we charged forward and began our rampage. Rika kicked things off by throwing two kunai knives into the chests of the two farthest geth (an impressive feat), and watched as the kunai knives exploded, sending geth debris everywhere. Garrus went on to snipe the next farthest geth with his Mantis, while Wrex simply used his Claymore shotgun and fired a Carnage shot directly at a small group of geth troopers. They never knew what hit 'em.

Natasha took out her Lancer assault rifle and laid down some cover fire while I loaded my Desert Eagle, took aim, and watched as the closest geth's head exploded. It was a beautiful sight (until some of its remain splattered across my face. Not cool). I charged forward, taking down more geth as I went, until I ran out of ammo and was forced to run back to the others while a squard of five geth chased me (not funny. Stop laughing). Five kunai, one sniper round, and two individual carnage shots later (which launched me forward and planted my face onto the ground), the small squad was only pieces of scrap. Looking up at Natasha, I smiled and said "I could've taken them."

Rolling her eyes, she said "Suuuuurrreeee."

We then walked onwards, heading right to the entrance of the ruins. Knowing what was about to happen, I unlatched  _Morning Glory_  from my back and primed it for action. This caught the attention of the others, causing me to say "What? You can never be too careful."

As soon as I said it, a large object crashed into the ground. Regaining our balance, we pointed our weapons at what we assumed to be geth. Oh, if only we were right. Instead of the Armature I expected there to be, a mech as large as a YMIR mech stood upon its large legs. As its single, red light of an eye lit up, it activated the guns it had for arms, both looking powerful enough to tear us to pieces. A few other mechs landed around it. These mechs looked like LOKI mechs, only tougher-looking, with larger shoulder plates, a curved head, and each possessed an M-96 Mattock Auto assault riffle. Which they aimed at us.

_Things_ _**cannot** _ _get any worse._

" _Target located,_  they all said as they looked right at us.  _"Secondary objective: apprehend Dr. T'soni. Primary objective: destroy Michael Anderson."_

_Huh. I stand corrected._

Only one thing escaped my mouth as the mechs began to open fire on us. And I pretty much think it was the  **only**  thing any reasonable person would say in this situation.

**"RUUUUUNNNNN!"**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, shit's about to get crazy up in here. Bet you who played the first Mass Effect weren't expecting THAT! In case anyone was wondering, the mechs are from the mobile game Mass Effect: Infiltrator. The big mech is called the Ogre mech, while the smaller mechs are called Orcus mechs.
> 
> For those who are familiar with them, I know they are Cerberus mechs. However, the mechs aren't from Cerberus in this fic. Who these belong to will be addressed in a later chapter. For now, let's just say they belong to a party invested in the hero's demise.
> 
> Until next time, read and review, please.


	9. Journey's Start, Pt 4: New Friends, New Enemies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I don't own anything Mass Effect related. As much as I'd like to, Bioware is the one holding the cards in that department.
> 
> Also, I'm sorry if it took too long to get this chapter out. Life's just been keeping me distracted (though things like Man of Steel served as an enjoyable distraction) and/or suffering from writer's block. Word to the wise, I'm planning on churning out at least 1 or 2 chapters a month.
> 
> I'm also going to be introducing a few "guests" in this chapter, who will eventually become main characters in the story. So in order to get this out of the way, let me just say that I don't own those characters. They are the property of their rightful creators.
> 
> Anyway, ON WITH THE SHOW!

_Unknown POV, hours ago:_

* * *

The darkness is our ally. Anonymity is our greatest weapon. These tools allow us to do as we please. These weapons help us to run things from behind the scenes. These powers let us keep our galaxy in balance.

It is an unspoken truth amongst us. It is not those with blatant power who are the masters of the universe; those who control them from the shadows, who control battles with information, those who keep the masses in check so that the natural order is never disrupted. They are the  **true**  rulers of the galaxy.

However, it never hurts to have figureheads in power. Especially if those figureheads are the Council of Citadel space, or Aria T'Loak of Omega. Though they don't realize it, we control them through actions. We create situations in which they have no choice but to walk the paths we desire. And through that, we maintain control.

Unfortunately, as we have recently learned, not  **everything** can be controlled. Those mongrels, the  **humans** , have proven that many times. Upon our discovery of them, we hoped to control them by making them a "client race" of the turians. If they hadn't allied themselves with those  **filthy**  quarians, or those damned A.I.s, we would have succeeded. Instead, they managed to draw the conflict out long enough for the Council to make peace, and allow the Alliance to live freely in Citadel space.

After that, we tried a different approach: allow the batarian Hegemony to raid the Alliance, either slaughtering or enslaving all they came across. For a time, it succeeded. But humanity proved to be more of a thorn in our sides than we thought. Soon after the raids began, however, the Alliance gained the temporary help of the krogan to protect their colonies. Because of those brutes, the batarians became more cautious, never attacking a colony unless they were  **sure**  they could successfully raid it. In their war with the Hegemony, humanity had somehow even managed to push the batarians back from Elysium, all because of that damned Steven Shepard. But our plan came crashing down at Torfan, when the primitives proved their ruthlessness. After that, batarians never dared to attack another human colony, only working through mercenaries or slavers to get what they wanted.

But most annoyingly, the biggest blow we were ever dealt by the humans was by a boy. A human boy, no older than 18. He managed to discover one of our bases, dedicated to gaining an edge against the humans, for when the day would come that they and their quarian filth and A.I. garbage would be put in their places. But thanks to that one boy, aided by two others, the base was destroyed, the surviving subjects escaped, and we lost our greatest secret weapon.

When humanity and their lowly allies came onto the galactic scene all those years ago, they simply annoyed me. When they ruined our attempts to enslave them, they began to anger me. Now, though? Now, they have succeeded at pissing. Me. Off.

Now, we have  **just**  learned through our agents that not only is the boy still alive, even after we believed him to have died a year ago, but now he was made a SPECTRE. To add insult to injury, that status was also given to two other humans. They were to bring down Saren, our greatest agent, for his actions on Eden Prime. That was the last straw.

As the screens surrounding me lit up, the distorted images of my fellow compatriots came into view. Our meeting could finally begin.

"You all know why we're gathered her," I said. "That human, Michael Anderson, is still alive."

" _Not only that,"_  said the figure on screen 1,  _"but he and two other humans, the Shepard siblings, are now members of Special Tactics and Recon. Truly, the galaxy has gone to the varren."_

" _I think that I speak for all of us,"_  said the figure on screen 5,  _"that we cannot stand for this. They must be eliminated. Now!"_

The figure on screen 2 sighed.  _"Yes, but we cannot do anything until we have a lead. Unless we know where they're going-"_

" _Which is why this one has a lead on the human's current destination,"_  the figure on screen 3 said.  _"This one's sources say that he is en route to find Matriarch Benezia's daughter on Therum. If we act quickly, then we can end him."_

 _I swear, that hanar can really work miracles._  "Alright. Send a squad of mechs consisting of one Ogre and four Orcus mechs. If they fail, send in the  _Quaker_. If possible, capture Dr. T'Soni so she can be handed over to her mother. I'm sure she will make a valuable ally, in due time."

The figure on screen 2 hummed a bit.  _"I'll have the squad set to go in a few minutes. From the shadows, comes power."_

We each repeated our solemn chant, then cut the feeds. Getting up to look at the vastness of the stars, I allowed myself to feel a faint joy.  _There's no escape for you this time, boy. None can escape our reach..._ I took a deep drink from my glass... _for the entire galaxy lays in the grasp of the Dark Hand._

* * *

_Unknown POV, A few minutes ago:_

* * *

"Well, it looks like Michael sure hasn't lost his love o' destruction," I said.

As the three of us looked at path of destruction in front of us, I couldn't help but notice my giant of a friend nod his head in agreement. "If there's one thing Michael is good at," he said, "it's making chaos for his enemies wherever he goes."

I couldn't help but remember when he paraphrased something from a graphic novel series he once read:  _"I like to blow into town, cause maximum damage, and disappear; just like a KISS concert. Though with no unintended pregnancies in my wake."_  Sure enough, that was the best way to describe that man once he got into a fight. Looking at his handiwork, that has yet to change.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure his new-found pals had a hand in this," my metal-armored friend said. "I mean, these tread marks are obviously from a  _Mako_. And last I checked, you needed at least two people to use one of those bad boys: one to drive, the other to shoot."

"No shit, Sherlock," I said giving a sarcastic look at him. "He  **was**  made a SPECTRE an' given a mission to track an' take down that S.O.B. Saren, alongside those Shepard siblings. It'd make sense that he'd be with others, Tony."

He looked straight at me. Though I couldn't see his face, I could tell he had an expression on his face that would make a short tempered man punch him _._  "Has anyone ever told you that your Southern accent just sounds downright sexy?" he said cockily. Before I could answer, he returned his attention back to the scene before us. "Judging from the bio-signatures, it looks like he was traveling with at least three others: two human females, one turian male."

"Wonder what brought them here," Chief said.

"Beats me, big green," Tony said. "Though seeing as there's a Prothean ruin nearby, it might be a lead on this 'Conduit' thing Michael was telling the Council about."

I sighed. It seemed like Michael just couldn't help but get involved in dangerous situations where lives were at stake. First his rescue of the three of us, now this. Smiling, I couldn't help but remember that that was one of the reasons I liked the guy. He was always thinking of the well being of others.

"Anna!" Tony yelled. "If you're done thinking about how much of a shot you have with Michael, maybe you can catch up with the rest of us!"

That quickly shook me back to reality. Thank God my enviro-suit's visor covered my face, otherwise Tony would just mock me about it even more. Yeah, okay, so I have a bit of a crush on Michael. But it's not like I'd actually have a shot with him. He and I couldn't even actually touch each other without me-

"What are those?" Chief asked.

Looking up, I saw a group of small meteorites heading towards the spot where the ruins were. As soon as they hit the ground, a dull  _BOOM_  filled the air.  _That can't be good_ , I thought.

" _Sir, the readings from those objects were synthetic, though they didn't resemble any known geth signatures. However, it seems they are an exact match for the mechs from the Facility."_

My blood froze instantly at the mere mention of that hellhole. "Mah God," I said quietly. "It's them."

Tony tried to fly off to help, but the jet boots sparked a few times before failing. "Dammit," he growled. "The heat from this place is interfering with my suit. J.A.R.V.I.S., how long will it take to get to where those mechs landed?"

" _About 10 minutes, sir,"_  he answered.

"Double time it people!" he yelled. I didn't notice at first, but I seemed to be in the lead as we ran for the site. Even though I was barely breathing at this point, thanks to my fried air-conditioning unit in my suit, I was still maintaining my lead. Then the explosion resounded throughout the skies.

 _If those sons o' bitches kill him,_  I thought to myself with venom,  _they'll find out how much of a bad idea it is ta piss me off._

* * *

_Michael's POV, Now:_

* * *

As the explosion sends us flying forward, I am reminded how much I hate mechs.

 _Why the hell are there mechs here in the first place?! Last I checked, we were supposed to fight a few geth and an Armature, not an Ogre mech and a few Orcus mechs!_  Gathering my bearings after that blast, I ran like the devil and joined Natasha behind one of the crates. "I don't suppose anyone here knows how to deal with those things?!" I yelled as the Orcus mechs opened fire.

"Sorry," Rika yelled as she threw a grenade, "but those things are pretty much immune to hacking and Sabotage, and my Overload setting on my Omni-tool is still wonky. I still have a few shield disruptor kunai, but other than that, I'm pretty much useless here!"

I looked at her incredulously. "What about those guns I bought you?!"

"I pawned them off to the requisitions officer for spare credits!"

**"ARE YOU SHITTING ME?!"**

"What?" she yelled, "I hate guns!"

I let out an exasperated sigh as another explosion goes off next to me. "Jesus H. Christ! You are as bad as Azrael!"

Wrex fired a Carnage shot, knocking one of the Orcus mechs flat on their back. "I know, right? What's to hate about them?" he asked. "Last I checked, they get the job done pretty well!"

"Don't mind her," Garrus said. "For as long as I've known her, she's always liked bladed weapons more than guns!"

"Um, guys?" Natasha cried out. "How about we focus on taking down the mechs? Because they are a bitch to kill, and are starting to piss. ME.  **OFF!** "

With that, we started to open fire on the mechs. Natasha and I turned our heavy pistols at the closest Orcus mech and unleashed a torrent of slugs. However, judging by how the mech recoiled from my shots, it looked like I had the advantage against these things. Putting in a new clip, I took aim at its head and fired four shots. The first two took down the last of its shielding; the last two managed to make two holes appear, just before it fell down and never came back up.

Activating my shield and sword, I went out into the open with Natasha right behind me. From the safety of the cover I was providing, she threw a few discs toward the two closest Orcus mechs. It wasn't until the discs exploded that I realized that those were grenades. However, before we could react, the Ogre mech fired another round at us. The shot crashed into my shield, sending me hurtling backwards into Natasha and crashing to the ground.

That's when Wrex barreled forward, firing a Carnage shot square in the chest of the Orcus mech closest to him. As the mech fell to the ground, he aimed his Claymore shotgun right at its head and pulled the trigger. Bits and pieces of metal flew across the field where the mechanical head once was, leaving a smoldering corpse behind and a grinning krogan battle master on top of it.

At that point, Garrus and Rika took the stage. Rika threw 2 kunai at the farthest Orcus, electrocuting it while the kunai destroyed its shields. While it was stunned, Garrus popped up from behind his crate and took aim with his Mantis. One well placed shot later, and its head was no more. Now, all that was left to destroy was the Ogre mech.

Easier said than done.

First off, let me tell you that these are tough sons of bitches. I've never played the game that these mechs were in, so I can't say for sure how tough an Ogre mech actually is. I can tell you, however, that the one I'm facing are about as strong as a YMIR, only a bit bulkier. Secondly, judging by how it won't go down, it's like fighting a YMIR on Insanity difficulty (to those unfamiliar, that is the highest difficulty on Mass Effect 2), so that makes it even more of a bitch to fight.

Still, that didn't stop us from trying.

Wrex started the fight off by unleashing his trusty Carnage shot straight at the Ogre's chest, resulting in an explosion that rocked the mech only slightly backwards. Garrus and I followed this by firing straight at the metal monster's torso, with Rika sending a kunai at its head. As soon as the blade made contact, an electrical field burst out, causing the mech to move about irregularly.

Natasha saw this chance and made a beeline right behind the Ogre, pulling Garrus and Rika along. Once behind, she yelled out "Sharp shot, Kunoichi, aim for the limb joints! Atlas, Carnage, keep the pressure on that son of a bitch's torso!"

Following her instructions, Wrex and I unleashed a torrent of rounds at the hulking figure. This caused the mega-mech to focus on the target in front of it: us. This was a good thing, as it didn't pay attention to the area behind it. Taking their chance, Garrus took aim and fired a few well placed shots at the back of the Ogre's right knee, while Rika buried a kunai in the back left knee. Both attacks caused the Ogre to lurch forward, stumbling as it attempted to regain its footing. Natasha didn't give it the chance, and lobbed a few grenades at the back of its head, all of which she modified to explode on impact. The explosion caused the Ogre to completely lose its footing, sending it speeding face first into the ground.

Taking this chance, we all rushed forward and unleashed all we had on its head. Fifteen seconds later, and the mech never moved again. As the sound of our gunfire died down, I noticed that we were all breathing pretty heavily (though Wrex tried to hide it in an attempt to look tougher than the rest of us. It worked). "Holy…shit…" Garrus said wearily. "Those were...the toughest...mechs...I've ever...fought..."

"No kidding," Rika said. "I've never...seen anything like them before."

Without thinking, I said "I have." Realizing too late (and giving myself a mental thrashing), I looked up to see everyone looking at me. "But only on blueprints. They were supposed to be in the testing phase."

Natasha gave me a suspicious glare. Before she could speak, Wrex cut her off and said "Yeah, well, guess someone managed to get these tin cans onto the production line." Lifting himself up from the ground, he continued "Doesn't really matter at the moment, though. We still have an asari to find."

Recognition lit up our faces. "He's right," Rika said. "We can talk more about this after we've saved Dr. T'Soni."

And so the five of us headed towards the entrance to the ruins. Natasha was still a bit suspicious of me, though it looked like she had decided to let it go for now. I could already tell that was going to be a fun conversation when it happened.

* * *

We all decided to walk in single file: first Wrex, then me, followed by Garrus, Natasha, and finally Rika. The tunnel was narrow, dimly lit, smelled of year long unwashed ass (I would assume), and was barely able to allow us to walk without the risk of losing our footing. Oh, and it was slanting downwards. Six seconds in and I already hated this place.

" _Well, get ready, because you're about to like it even less."_

My head perked up at the familiar voice.

_Hikari?_

" _No, it's Moses. Of course it's me. Who were you expecting to talk in your head?"_

I mentally shrugged.  _I don't know, but the last time I heard a voice in my head, it was male_.

I heard her face palm herself.  _"For the love of…Never mind. Look, I wanted to give you a heads up: you're going to be having company soon."_

_What kind of company?_

" _Let's just say, they're people from your past."_

My brows furrowed at that.  _Could you_ _ **be**_ _anymore unclear?_

" _Sorry, but being clear takes all the fun out of the surprise. Oh, and mind the right ear."_

Before I could say anything, she was gone.  _I'm really starting to hate that girl._

Literally a second later, a geth trooper stepped out in front of us and took aim. Garrus beat it to the punch, and blew the synthetic's head clean off with his Mantis. I immediately clutched the right side of my head and screamed  **"OW! DAMN IT! THAT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO MY FUCKING EAR!"**

Cringing, Garrus sincerely cried out "Sorry!"

I raised my Desert Eagle and gunned down the next trooper, starting our charge toward a group of geth.  **"I SWEAR TO THE ALL-MIGHTY, IF I GO DEAF, I WILL PERSONALLY KICK YOU IN THE GROIN!"**

He cringed even more as he took down a geth sniper. "Duly noted," he muttered.

"Heh, maybe we should get the kid angry more often," Wrex said while gunning down two geth troopers. "It seems he fights better when he's angry!"

"Stow it for now, Carnage!" Natasha said as she threw an Overload straight at a geth rocket trooper. "Last thing we need is Atlas going berserk on us!" Looking at the group of synthetic corpses strewn out before me, she added "Or aiming that rage  **at**  us."

Soon we reached the elevator. Before we entered, I managed to calm myself down enough to look down, and noticed that this place was bigger than it was in the game. I mean, really bigger, like at least more than a hundred stories high. Suddenly, I found myself a little weak in the knees.

_Why did I look down? Nothing good ever comes from looking down._

As we rode the down (and after I calmed down a bit), I noticed the creaking this thing was making. I guess that was to be expected, seeing as there were five people (one of whom is a krogan) riding this thing. Plus, these ruins were more than 50,000 years old. That fact, however, did not help relieve my nervousness. "Uh, guys?" I said tensely. "Something tells me we're going over the weight capacity."

"Can't be from me," Wrex said. "I've been slimming down for the past hundred years. You all have the honor of gazing upon a krogan in peak physical condition."

Rika couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, I bet that's why you get  **all**  the ladies. It helps draw attention away from your scars."

That got the rest of us to laugh lightly, even Wrex. "And yet, I still look better than a turian."

"Well, I don't know about that," Garrus said. "But at least you look better than, say, a batarian, or a vorcha, or a-"

**"GETH!"**

Natasha's warning managed to be our saving grace, as we managed to take cover before a few geth drones opened fire on us. However, a stray shot managed to hit Rika in the leg, causing Wrex to dive down and act as a living shield to protect her. Wrex managed to get her to cover, though not before his back had become riddled with gunfire.

_Man, you just gotta love that healing factor the krogan have._

Natasha sent a few hand signals in Garrus' direction, which he responded to with a nod. A few seconds later, both she and Garrus readied their pistols, popped out of cover, and took out every drone with four shots each. One of the drones managed to land near me, so I decided to hand it over to Natasha in order to salvage it, while Garrus and I checked on Wrex and Rika. "Don't worry about me," Wrex said. "Krogan are made to endure punishment."

"Yeah," Rika said with a groan, "And I just need some medi-gel for my wound, then I'll be right as rain."

After Natasha applied medigel to the wound, we entered the other elevator and began to make our decent. About a quarter of the way down, I was immediately put off by the more frequent groaning and creaking as we went further down. From the looks of it, so was Garrus. "Well," he said, "that doesn't sound good."

"Yeah," I said nervously. "The pulley definitely sounds like-"

_**CRACK** _

**"SSSSHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTT!"**

As my scream echoed through the cavern, our elevator free fell to the ground below, taking us with it. Clinging on for dear life, we braced ourselves for what would most likely be a very messy death for us all.  _After all the good I did in my brief time in this universe, I die in a fucking_ _ **elevator**_ _?! Karma, not only are you a fucking urban legend, you are a whore as well._

Suddenly, I felt a slight jolt beneath us. Then I noticed that we were… _slowing down?_  As we came to a stop, we were pushed up just a bit, then allowed to quickly drop to the ground right below us. However, none of us were willing to let go of the elevator, so we couldn't see exactly  **what**  it was that saved us.

Metal footsteps made their way toward us. We all tensed up, fearing that a geth had found us. As the footsteps stopped, we bolted backward and aimed our guns at the source. That source being a humanoid, robotic figure, mostly light red with gold accents, a red faceplate, and bright red lights. But what really got my attention was that it looked just like…

**"Iron Man?!"**

Looking right at me, his faceplate lifted up to reveal a human face. Then my jaw fell through the floor. It was the face of Tony Stark. Not just  **any**  Tony Stark...it was Tony Stark as played by Robert Downey Jr., in the flesh. Standing right in front of us.

What.

THE.

**FUCK?!**

Smiling, Tony said "Hey, Mike. How's life been treating you?"

...

...

...

_...Seriously, it's almost as if the universe finds some kind of sick pleasure in throwing my mind for a loop._

Their faces painted with shock, Garrus and Rika exclaimed  **"TONY?!"**

"Garrus! Rika! How've you two lovebirds been?" Tony happily asked. "Been doing anything I wouldn't do?"

At that, Garrus looked a bit annoyed. "Yeah, it's definitely you, all right."

Rika leapt up and threw her arms around him. Laughing she said "Oh my God! I can't believe this! It's really you!"

Natasha got up and pulled Rika away from Tony. "While I appreciate the assistance," she said calmly, "I'd like to know  **why**  the Alliance's top scientist is here in the Traverse, wearing battle armor that looks to be experimental."

He shrugged. "Actually, we came here to find Michael. After I heard from Alliance command that he was made a SPECTRE alongside you, I intercepted a communication telling me where he was going. After that, I contacted the others, we took a ship out here, and the rest is history."

Natasha looked at him incredulously for a few seconds, ten brought her face straight into her left palm. "I swear, if you weren't the Alliance's best shielding manufacturer, I'd have you jailed for hacking Alliance transmissions." Looking at me, she asked "And why did you call him 'Iron Man?'"

"Uh, well, I...wait," I said, trying to change the subject. "What do you mean, others?"

He gave me a shit-eating grin and replied "Look up."

I looked up, and my jaw once more fell down. Along with those of my friends. Gently coming down on a grappling hook were two human figures, one male, one female. The female looked to be about Natasha's height, and was wearing a black and green enviro-suit, complete with yellow trimming. She was also the one carrying the male. And the one flying. The male, however, was gigantic, about 7 feet in height. He was clad in dark green armor with black accents, and wore a helmet that covered his face. The gold tinted visor also helped to hide his appearance.

Both were carrying weapons. The female had a Locust submachine gun and a Phalanx heavy pistol strapped to her hips, and an N7 Piranha shotgun as well. The giant man possessed weapons of every kind: on his back was an M-98 Widow sniper rifle, an M-7 Lancer assault rifle, and an M-920 Cain. He also possessed an M-300 Claymore shotgun, an N7 Eagle heavy pistol, and an N7 Hurricane submachine gun. One look at these two, and others would instantly assume the guy was the most dangerous based on his size and arsenal. But what really grabbed my attention was his armor. It looked so familiar.

"Chief! Is that really you?!" exclaimed Garrus.

The giant nodded. "Good to see you again, sir."

"Ahem," the female said, "Ah hope y'all haven' forgotten about little ol' me, would ya?"

At the sound of her southern accent, Rika squealed in delight. "Rogue! You're here too?! Holy crap, this is so  **AWESOME!"**

Wrex scratched his head in confusion. "Okay, how do you all know each other?"

Tony turned his attention to the red armored krogan. "If you must know, Garrus, Michael, and Rika were the ones who saved our lives."

...Say what?

"Yeah," Rika said, "before Michael showed up again on Eden Prime, he helped Garrus and I out with a case. A while after that, we helped him take down a group that was threatening Captain Anderson. During that time, we destroyed this facility that had kidnapped humans and were using them in experiments. We saved everyone who wasn't dead, including Tony, Chief, and Rogue. Next thing you know, Michael goes missing, shows up on Eden Prime, and he has amnesia."

The others looked at me in silence, each with a different expression (well, for those whose faces were visible): Wrex had a look of respect, Natasha had one of disbelief, and Tony simply looked surprised. John spoke up first: "You don't remember anything?"

As I scratched the back of my head, I nervously replied "To be precise, I can't really remember much from before waking up on Eden Prime. Bits and pieces, sure, but nothing major."

Rogue looked a bit hurt by the news. "Ya don' even remembah us?" she asked sadly.

I hung my head and replied "Sorry, but no."

"Getting back to the matter at hand," Natasha said, "we still have an asari archaeologist to rescue. If you three would like to help us out, follow me."

Taking out his Claymore, Chief said "Lead the way, ma'am."

With that, we descended deeper into the ruins. Thankfully, we managed to find some stairs, so we didn't have to climb down. However, we still did need to find a way out of here, seeing as the elevator was totaled. Rogue said she and Tony could get us all out, though it would have to be two or three at a time. Natasha simply said we would worry about that when the time came.

* * *

A few minutes later, we came across a room that was blocked by a barrier curtain. On the other side, floating in an energy bubble, was everyone's favorite asari. "Dr. Liara T'Soni, I presume?" I asked nonchalantly.

She seemed to perk up at this. Eyes widening, she nervously asked "Who...who are you? Are you with the geth?"

"No, ma'am. My name is Atlas, one of the first human SPECTREs. We're here to make sure Saren doesn't get his talons on you," I said reassuringly.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Liara said "Well, until you can get past this barrier, I'm afraid you won't be able to do much. And I can't deactivate it, due to...um...accidentally activating a security measure. I haven't been able to move for days."

" _Try walking through it,"_  Hikari said.

_What?_

" _Just try it."_

As I nervously placed my hand on the barrier, I was shocked by what came next: my hand passed right through it. Oh, the look on Liara's face was absolutely  **priceless**. I wish I had brought a camera with me. "How...how did you...?"

Before Liara could continue, I slowly began to walk through the barrier. The sensation was weird, yet strangely warm. Almost like I was walking in the springtime sun. I reached the other side, and turned around to see the dumbstruck looks on the other's faces. To respond, I simply shrugged and said "No idea. So doc, how do I turn off the fields?"

As she shook herself out of her stupor, Liara answered "The orange button on the console. That will deactivate the power."

"Hold on," Wrex said. "How do you know she isn't with Benezia? After all, she is Saren's top bitch."

Liara looked appalled. "What? I don't even...I haven't spoken to her in years! I have no idea why she joined Saren. Please, Just get me out of here!"

I looked to Wrex and said "Think about it, Carnage. If she was with Benezia and Saren, the geth wouldn't be trying to kill her." That seemed to convince him, at least for now. Following Liara's instructions, I deactivated the fields, allowing Liara to drop to the floor and stretch her limbs.

"Thank you. As much as I'm fascinated by the Protheans, I have no intentions of becoming a part of their-"

Suddenly, a cylindrical object the size of a semi-truck burst through the ceiling, impacting with the ground below. Rushing out to get a good look at it, the device latched itself to the ground before glowing a sickly red. A rumbling sound then filled the cavern, causing everyone to fidget uncomfortably. "What's happening?" asked Rika.

Liara's face filled with horror. "By the goddess...that's a Quaker, an asari device used for landscaping. Except this one's been weaponized, capable of starting a major seismic event!" The rumbling became more violent. "These ruins are unstable. If we don't leave now, the volcano will bury us along with these ruins!"

"Damn it," Natasha muttered. She activated her Omni-tool and turned on her communication systems. "Joker! Get the  _Normandy_ to these coordinates, ASAP!"

We then rushed out of the room to a lift that was right outside. Liara turned it on, thus bringing us all the way to the top. The rumbling intensified the whole way up, threatening to bring the roof down on us at any second.  _Note to self: never enter a Prothean ruin without a vehicle._

As we reached the top, we were greeted by the sight of a krogan, flanked by a squad of about thirty geth. "Surrender," the krogan said. "Or don't. That just makes things more fun."

"In case ya haven' noticed," Rogue said, "this whole place is gonna blow sky high."

The krogan simply chuckled. "Exhilarating, isn't it?"

Tony face palmed at the krogan's words. "Is this guy serious?" he asked incredulously.

"Thanks for getting the doctor for us," the krogan continued. "Just hand her over and you can go."

I placed my arm in front of Liara. With a deadly look on my face, I said "Sorry, but that's not gonna happen. If you even put a finger on her, you lose your arm." Liara's face turned a darker shade of blue at that, leaving a small smile on her face from the act.

"Fine by me," he responded. "Kill them all. Spare the asari if you can. If not doesn't matter."

A second later, Tony brought his right hand up and fired a repulsor beam, blasting the krogan all the way backwards. The lummox landed at the mouth of the pathway out, falling in sleep with a dizzying look on his face. The geth looked to where the krogan lay, then to Tony. He gave them the classic hand taunt and said "Next."

The geth opened fire, scattering us all across the circular room. Chief raised his Claymore and took down the geth right next to him. He then took out his Hurricane and gunned down two more geth right behind it. As a rocket trooper was about to fire on Chief, Wrex used his biotics and Warped the rocket launcher, causing it to explode in its face. Before the metal corpse crumpled to the floor, Wrex raised his shotgun at a geth running up behind him, then proceeded to decapitate the unfortunate synthetic.

While this happened, Rika and Garrus were taking on eight geth at once, one of which was a Juggernaut. Aiming for that one first, Rika threw a kunai right into its head, causing it to shoot out a fountain of sparks. As Garrus finished off the geth closest to him, he took out his Mantis and aimed it point blank at the Juggernaut's head. Three guesses what happened to it. After that, the duo used widespread Overloads on the remaining geth, allowing Garrus to gun them all down.

Natasha and I were busy protecting Liara, though she helped to kill some geth as well. While the others were preoccupied, the three of us had managed to take down eight more geth, using Natasha's tech, Liara's biotics, and my kick-ass Omni-weapons. I mentally reminded myself to once again thank Daro for making these. I also had to remember to never piss off the future Shadow Broker, lest I risk my own life. "Watch out!"

Liara's warning came too late, as a geth Juggernaut rammed straight into me. I felt my breath escape my lungs from the impact, as well as a few ribs get cracked. I tried to escape, but the thing had me trapped in a bear hug that was slowly crushing me. As its grip tightened, I began to lose consciousness.  _Well, at least I'm not dying in an elevator._

Before it could end me, the Juggernaut's head was torn right off of its body. The arms immediately slacked, which allowed me to graciously take in deep breaths as the metal corpse hit the floor. After I regained enough oxygen, I looked up to see Rogue holding the Juggernaut's head in her hand. "Wow," I said awestruck. "You're stronger than you look."

She shrugged and said "It's not so tough, once ya absorb the strength of a krogan. The trick, though, is to make sure ya  **only**  absorb their strength." As she said this, I noticed her putting her glove back on her bare hand. At that point, it clicked into place.

Absorbing attributes of another? Wearing clothes that cover all your skin? Flying? A green and yellow color scheme? All of these, mixed with her beautiful southern accent, pointed to one conclusion for her true identity.

"Are you...Rogue?" I asked slowly. "As in, Rogue from the  **X-Men?"**

Judging by the tone of her giggle, I'd say I hit the nail on the head. "About time ya remembah'd. Ah was worried that Ah'd have to hit ya over the head with a fryin' pan to make ya remembah us."

Wow. Rogue,  **the**  Rogue, the southern belle of the freaking  **X-Men** , was standing right in front of me. Not only that, but she just saved my life. Pointing behind her, she continued "An' in case ya haven' figured it out yet, he goes by the name Master Chief."

...Master Chief? As in, the SPARTAN super-soldier Master Chief? The man who practically single handedly saved humanity from the Covenant, the Flood, and the Didact? The man who's a master at both hand-to-hand combat  **and**  practically all forms of weapons?

Iron Man, Rogue, and Master Chief.  **How**  can these three be together? Scratch that, how can these three even be together in the  **Mass Effect universe?!**  Especially seeing as one is from a movie universe, another is from a comic universe, and the other is from a completely different video game franchise?!

"Okay," Tony said, thus bringing me out of my thoughts, "I think we got them all."

Looking around, I could see that he was right. All the geth were lying in pieces, the rest obviously having been taken down by Tony. Before I could comment, Tony was rammed into by the krogan, who was obviously stronger than e looked. He turned to Liara, then pulled off a biotic Charge and grabbed her. "All right," the krogan said with a gun to Liara's head, "I'm walking out of here with the asari. Any of you follow, she dies."

Liara looked to us in desperation. "Please," she quietly begged, "help-"

"Quiet, bitch!" yelled the krogan, silencing her with a pistol whipping.

I was the closest to her. The krogan wasn't looking at us, specifically me, meaning this was my only chance. I lunged forward, my golden biotics ignited by the first step. By now, my biotics had become second nature. Although I couldn't control their power or duration, I could at least now turn them on just by thinking of it. As I reached the krogan, I sidestepped him and lept for his side just as he took notice. But it was too late. I was withing point blank range, my biotics shining brightly.

_Time to give you a taste of what your boss experienced, assclown._

My fist made contact with his side. As it sunk in deeper, I could tell the krogan was feeling the pain of a powerful force breaking his bones. The pain was so intense for him, he let go of Liara out of instinct. As soon as she was clear, I let loose, sending the bastard flying through the room. His flight was cut short as he collided with the wall, hitting the ground as an unconscious lump.

My light died away as the adrenaline rush subsided. As I breathed heavily, I looked to Liara and Tony to see if they were alright. Apart from being awestruck by my biotic display, and the bruises they were sure to get later, they were both going to be fine.

 _"Well,"_  I heard Hikari say,  _"at least you're beginning to get a handle on your powers. And using them in the least amount of time, too. Impressive."_

 _Aw, can it Hikari,_  I thought as a smile grew on my face. A smile that disappeared with the return of the rumbling.

At that point, the rumbling became extremely violent, causing chunks from the ceiling to come down. "Maybe we should go now?" I suggested.

Nodding, Natasha yelled out  **"MOVE OUT, EVERYONE! NOW!"**

We dutifully followed that order, making a mad dash for the exit. Chief stopped to pick up the unconscious krogan before joining the rest of us. A moment later, magma burst from the cavern walls, blocking the way behind us. From then on, it was a race against time. We ran like hell for the surface, not stopping once.  **"HURRY!"**  Natasha yelled.  **"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"**

The tunnel leading out came into view. We then kicked ourselves into overdrive, knowing that we were almost in the clear. Time almost seemed to slow down for me. What seemed like minutes took seconds, but the retardation of my time perception made it the longest seconds ever as the heat was catching up to us. We burst through the exit just as the tunnel collapsed, thus stopping the magma flow behind us. We took this moment to catch our breath before Liara looked at Chief. "Thanks...for the help...you three..." she said wearily.

Nodding, Rogue said "No...problem..."

"Hey, Shepard," Wrex said. "You think we have room on the team for four more?"

She looked at the others and said "Sure...the more...the merrier...I just have...one question, Chief."

"What is it, ma'am?" he asked.

"Why...did you...save the krogan?" she asked.

He dropped the krogan and said "So we can interrogate him, ma'am. He might have information on Saren and/or the Dark Hand. Plus, I remember Michael being reluctant to leave someone to die, even if it's an enemy. Ma'am."

She remained silent as she thought it over. "All right. Once he wakes up, we'll see what he knows. After that, we'll hand him over to the authorities." We all nodded in agreement at the decision. Smiling, I thought to myself that we might actually get a leg up on Saren. Then I noticed something Chief had said, which Natasha also noticed.

"What's the Dark Hand?" we both asked.

* * *

_Unknown POV, a few hours later:_

* * *

" **WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY SURVIVED?!"**  I yelled with fury. And it was a fury well deserved. Not only did they wipe out the mech battalion, but they managed to outrun the  _Quaker_ , our best ground weapon.

_Just how hard is it to kill that fucking human?!_

The figure on screen 2 nervously coughed and said  _"Well, as intel reports, a krogan working for Saren was turned over to the nearest authorities a few minutes ago. The ones who turned him in were Commander Natasha Shepard and Michael Anderson."_

The figure on screen 5 brought their hand up to their face.  _"That kid is either extremely lucky, or he has someone looking out for him. Either way, he's proved to be a pain in the ass to kill."_

" _This one has further news to report,"_  the figure on screen 3 said.  _"Among the group that turned the krogan in were three other humans. All of whom were once subjects of the Genome facility."_

A migraine was beginning to form in my head. "This day just keeps getting better and better," I muttered. Sighing, I said "This means we can't retaliate immediately. They've most likely told the  _Normandy_  crew about our existence. If so, then we must act more cautiously than ever." Turning to the figure on screen 1, I inquired "How is the project on Noveria coming along?"

" _Extremely well,"_  the figure replied.  _"We've already begun testing the subjects, and should have them ready as our personal shock troops within the next few months."_

"See to it that if the  _Normandy_  docks there, it  **never**  leaves. I'll keep tabs on Feros, while you," I said to the figure on screen 5, "prepare the attack on Terra Nova."

The figure simply nodded.  _"Consider it done. From the shadows, comes power."_

The screens cut to black, leaving me alone to brood. This human was starting to become an enormous problem. If he isn't ended on Noveria-

**" _It seems you've once again failed."_**

Spinning around, I trembled at the figure before me. "Master..."

**" _It doesn't matter. Even if he foils us a thousand times, he can never hope to destroy our noble mission."_**

I shook in fear and awe. His very presence made it difficult to breath, as if his awesome power were crushing your lungs. "Yes, my master. For the good of the galaxy."

He nodded.  ** _"Indeed. For the good of the galaxy, the human race_ must _be destroyed."_**

I simply nodded, and watched as he disappeared. As I regained my breathing, I smiled to myself.

_He's right. No one, not even Michael Anderson, can stop us now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit's getting real up in here! This Dark Hand is going to be a major player in the events in the future, pretty much replacing Cerberus as the antagonists.
> 
> Also, I would like to remind you all that I do not own Iron Man, Rogue, OR Master Chief. They belong to their rightful owners and creators.
> 
> Still, things should be pretty interesting now that their on the team. And yes, I'm going to have Tali, Liara, AND Rogue be possible romantic interests for the hero. Leave ideas for which pairing you would like to see in the reviews.
> 
> Until next time, please leave a review. BUT NO FLAMES!


	10. Journey's Start, Final: Aboard the Normandy (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, first thing's first. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING RELATED TO MASS EFFECT. I also do not own ROGUE, MASTER CHIEF, or IRON MAN. THOSE BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS.
> 
> Also, I'd like to personally thank Reko-Luna for their contribution to the story (which was their ideas for codenames for the others). Seriously, thanks a bunch.
> 
> And another thing, to those who haven't seen it yet, I would recommend the movie Pacific Rim. Seriously, watching that movie was like watching an epic battle between giants. Only the giants were robots and enormous aliens.
> 
> Finally, I'm sorry if this took too long to churn out. I've been repeatedly sidetracked and suffered from writer's block. I'm just glad I managed to get this chapter out.
> 
> Now, on with the show! (Heads up, no combat in this chapter).

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

After we interrogated our new prisoner (which involved a lot of beating, mainly from Wrex), and preventing him from getting too beat up (mainly Rogue, Tali, Liara, Kaidan, and I), we handed him over to an Alliance ship in the area. They assured us that they would make sure he wouldn't get away, and that he'd be in prison for a long time. Before taking him away, the krogan looked at me and...thanked me. He apparently heard that one of the reasons he was spared was because of me, and remembered that I helped keep him from getting too injured.

"I am in your debt, human," he said. "When the time comes, know that Urdnot Grell will return the favor." And then he left without a fight.

 _'Something tells me I really haven't seen the last of that krogan,'_  I thought as Grell left for an Alliance prison.

Through our questioning, we managed to find out about a possible geth incursion that was going to happen soon. Grell said he didn't know where, only that it was in a system near the edge of the Terminus. I had to remind myself to tell the Alliance to keep an eye on the Armstrong Cluster, along with a few other systems to avoid suspicion.

Until then, it was business as usual. Natasha called everyone up to the comm room for a debriefing, as well as to introduce Rogue, Tony, Liara, and Chief to the rest of the team. As we entered the room, two things entered my mind: first, it was a lot bigger than it appeared in the game. Second, there was a big, circular table in the middle of the room, with chairs all around it. The thing looked like it could seat twenty people, so everyone on the team were able to take their own seat. As we got ourselves situated, Steve said "Sounds like I missed quite the party down there, sis."

Natasha simply chuckled. "Oh, yeah. Mechs of unknown origin, doomsday machines, exploding ruins, and new squad mates to boot. Yeah, it was a real shindig, alright."

"Speaking of," Kaidan interjected, "would someone like to tell me why  **the**  Tony Stark, the Alliance's most famous scientist, genius, playboy, philanthropist, and billionaire is serving on our ship?"

"Simple," Tony answered. "I'm here for one reason, and one reason only." Without turning away, he pointed at me and said "To make sure he doesn't get himself killed."

Everyone else looked confused at that. "You see," he continued, "about a year ago, I was kidnapped, along with about a hundred other humans, by an organization known as the Dark Hand. From what I managed to find out about them, they're pretty much a secret society of control freaks with God complexes, believing that they alone are the rulers of the galaxy." He scoffed and said "Talk about delusional. Don't know  **why**  they took us, but I do remember it involved experiments." His face darkened as he remembered his time there. " **Deadly**  experiments. Those whack jobs would take someone and inject them, cut them up, God knows what else. By the time we were rescued, only seven remained."

Kaidan, Bronson, Liara, Tali, and I were deeply disturbed by the very thought of that. Ashley and Natasha became furious, their fists clenching tightly until they whitened. Rogue slightly shuddered at the memories, while Chief put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Garrus, Rika, Malak, and Wrex simply sat there in cold anger, some of their expressions easily showing that very anger.

It was Steve that broke the silence. "They experimented on humans, knowing they could die from them?"

Tony simply said "I honestly don't think they cared about what happened to us, pal. To them, we were just expendable lab rats."

Garrus scoffed. "Lab rats is too nice a term to describe what we saw," he said angrily. "Poor living conditions, malnutrition...those weren't experiments, those were glorified torture techniques."

I looked up at that. "So...the facility we raided and destroyed...that was..."

Rogue nodded. "Yeah...that was the Dark Hand's research facility. And thanks to you, Garrus, and Rika, the last seven subjects escaped with their lives." She smiled and said "To this day, they remember what you three did. They all owe you their lives." Frowning, she continued "Well,  **almost**  all of them."

Rika nervously laughed and said "Yeah, that guy was a real psycho. I'm surprised we even let him live." She smiled sadly. "Still, only seven...if we had found out about that hellhole earlier, we could have saved more. It's our fault that we didn't know sooner."

"Hey," Ashley said, "don't beat yourself up about it. You three did nothing wrong. The blame is all on this 'Dark Hand' group. Them and no one else."

Garrus nodded. "Yeah. And when I find them, I'm going to put a bullet in their heads for every person that died in that facility. Count on it."

"We'd have to find them first," Chief said. "But right now, we have more pressing issues. Mainly a rogue SPECTRE runnig around the Traverse."

Natasha and Steve sighed simultaneously. "He's right," Natasha said. "For now, we have to focus on the mission at hand."

" _Speaking of missions,"_  Joker interrupted over the intercom,  _"you were cutting it_ _ **waaaay**_ _too close, Commander. Ten more seconds and you guys would've been swimming in molten sulfur in an active volcano. That tends to, uh kill people. Just for future reference."_

Steve merely shook his head at that. Smiling he said "Don't worry, Joker, I'll make sure sis doesn't do anything to make you look bad."

" _Please and thank you."_

Natasha slightly growled and replied "Oh, and Joker...listen in on our conversations again, and I'll personally put you in leg braces."

" _Already got 'em, so, I beat you to the punch."_

"Wiseass."

Liara simply looked confused. "We almost died down there, and your pilot is making jokes?" she asked.

"It's just what he does," Kaidan said. "Trust me, you get used to it."

"Ah'm already used ta it," Rogue said. "Hangin' out with Stark tends ta prepare ya for that kind of attitude."

With a musing smile, Tony said "I think I'm gonna like this 'Joker' guy."

Liara looked to Natasha with a look that practically said  _Are they serious?_  Natasha simply smiled and said "Humor helps to ease the tension, Blue. Get used to it."

"I...I see," Liara said, a bit unsure of her new nickname. "I haven't been around humans very much, which would explain why I'm unfamiliar with many of your customs.

"Still, I am grateful to you," she continued. "You all saved my life, and not just from the volcano. Those geth would have killed me, or dragged me off to Saren."

Kaidan leaned forward and asked "Yeah, why did Saren want you, anyway? Do you know anything about the Conduit?"

"She's got to know  **something** , K," Bronson said. "After all, she  **is**  a Prothean expert. And last time I checked, that means she has knowledge about Prothean related subjects."

Liara looked a bit embarrassed by the praise. "Um, actually, all I even know about it is that it was somehow tied to the Prothean's extinction. That is my  **real** area of expertise. I have spent the past fifty years of my life dedicated to figure out what exactly happened to them."

That got Tony's brows shooting straight up. "How old did you say you were?"

"I didn't," Liara answered. With a slight blush, she continued "Though I hate to admit it, I am only 106 years old."

Ashley whistled. "Damn!" she exclaimed with a smile, "I hope I look as good as you when I'm your age!"

"A century might seem long to us humans," Malak said, "but to the asari, Liara is barely considered more than a child."

"Exactly," Liara said. "That is why my work hasn't gotten the attention it deserves." Looking down with a slight frown, she continued "Because of my youth, other asari scholars tend to... **dismiss**  my theories on the Protheans."

"I might be able to help you find out what happened to them," I said.

Returning my smile, Liara said "I appreciate the gesture, Atlas, but with all due respect, I have heard every theory out there. The problem is finding evidence to support them." She rubbed her temples and groaned "It is  **extremely** frustrating that the Protheans left so very little behind. It is almost as if someone did not want the mystery solved. It is like someone came along after the Protheans were gone, and cleansed the galaxy of clues."

Wrex chuckled at that. "Really pisses you of, huh?" he asked with a smile.

Liara looked up and said "Not how I would have described how I feel about that, but yes."

"So you have no idea who or what might've done that?" Chief asked.

"No," Liara answered with a frown. "However, I did discover something remarkable. According to my findings, the Protheans were not the first galactic civilization to mysteriously vanish. This cycle began long before them."

"I thought you said there wasn't any evidence," Steve said with a look of suspicion. "So where did you come up with this theory?"

Scoffing, Liara said "Please, Commander, I have been working on this for fifty years. I have tracked down every scrap and shred of evidence I could find. Eventually, patterns begin to emerge. Patterns that hint at the truth."

She realized that the others were having trouble understanding this. "It is...difficult to explain to someone else," Liara said. "I cannot point to one specific thing to prove my case. It is more like...a feeling derived from a half-century of dedicated research.

"But I know I am right! And eventually, I will be able to prove it. There were other civilizations before the Protheans. This cycle has repeated itself many times over."

"Well if the Protheans weren't the first," Chief said, "then who was?"

Liara hung her head in slight embarrassment. "I am afraid I don't know," she said. "There is little information on the Protheans. And even less on those who came before them. Though I cannot prove my theory, I know I am right!"

"Alright," Kaidan said, "but what were you saying about a cycle?"

"Quite simply, the galaxy is based on a cycle of extinction," Liara explained. "Each time a great civilization rises up, it is suddenly and violently cast down. Only ruins survive. The Protheans, for example, rose up from a single world until they had created an empire that spanned the entire galaxy. And yet even  **they**  climbed to the top upon the remains of those who came before them. Their greatest achievements-the mass relays and the Citadel-are based on the technologies of those who came before them. And then, like all the other forgotten civilizations throughout galactic history, the Protheans disappeared. I have dedicated my life to figuring out why."

I decided to just come out and tell her. No use beating around the bush on this particular subject, after all. "They were wiped out by a race of sentient machines," I said. "The Reapers."

Upon hearing this, Liara's face had become filled with shock. "The- the Reapers? I have never heard of- How do you know this?" she asked. "What evidence do you have?"

"Back on Eden Prime," Tali said, "Michael was thrown toward a Prothean beacon. A damaged one, at that. It burned a vision into his mind."

"Yeah," I groaned, rubbing my head, "and I'm having a hell of a time trying to make sense of it."

Liara contemplated on this new information. "Visions? That...that actually makes sense. The beacons were designed to transmit information directly into the mind of the user. Finding one that still works is  **extremely** rare." Realization dawned on her face. "That must explain why the geth attacked Eden Prime! The chance to acquire a working beacon- even a badly damaged one- is worth almost  **any**  risk.

"But the beacons were only programmed to interact with Prothean physiology. Whatever information you received would be confused, unclear." Liara then looked at me with an expression that was one-half awe, one-half 'I-want-to-take-you-away-to-study-you.' "I am  **amazed**  that you were able to make sense of it at all. A lesser mind would have been completely destroyed by the process. You must be remarkably strong willed, Atlas."

Throughout the whole tangent, Ashley had been trying to keep herself from interrupting, in hopes of actually coming across something that could give us a clue as to where the Conduit was. Now, though, she had decided to throw self-restraint out the window. "Uh, not to be rude," Ashley said, "but this isn't helping us find Saren.  **Or**  the Conduit."

Liara blushed at this. "You are right. I am sorry, but my scientific curiosity got the better of me. Unfortunately, I do not have any information that could help you find the Conduit. Or Saren."

"Great," Natasha mumbled, "we're back at square one."

I got up from my seat. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to have Liara stay on board with us," I said. "I don't know why Saren wanted you out of the picture, Liara, but I think it's best for everyone if we bring you along."

"Yeah," Rogue said. "Saren might come after her again, and ah couldn' think of anywhere safer than here on the  _Normandy_."

"Indeed," Liara agreed. "My knowledge of the Protheans might be useful later on."

"And her biotics will be useful when a fight starts," Wrex added with a smile.

I looked at Steve. He sighed and said "Welcome to the team Liara. Same goes to you, Chief. Rogue. Mr. Stark."

The three of them nodded in thanks before Stark held out his hand and said "Thank you. And please, call me Tony." We shook hands, then prepared to exit the room before Rika shot up from her seat.

"Oh! Before we head on out," Rika said excitedly, "I think it's time to give the others their codenames!"

Ashley cocked a brow. "Codenames?"

"Yeah," Natasha said. "Before we left for Therum, Wrex, Garrus, Rika, Michael, and I agreed that the ground team members would use codenames. Mine is Black Widow. Wrex is Carnage, Garrus is Sharp shot, and Rika is Kunoichi."

Bronson smiled at this. **"AWESOME!**  Now Malak, Michael and I won't be the only ones with codenames! Okay, I say that Kaidan's codename should be 'Elvis!'"

Now it was Kaidan's turn to cock a brow. "Elvis?" he asked.

"Yeah! I mean, that hairdo makes you look like Elvis already, so why not?"

Kaidan looked to Steve and Natasha. "Does it really?"

 **Steve:** "Yeah."

 **Natasha:** "Pretty much."

He thought about this, then smiled. "Well, I was always a fan of 'the King' anyway."

"That's the spirit!" Bronson said. "Now, Steve's should be 'Arrows.' You know, derived from 'straight arrow?'"

He blinked at that. "Ex- **CUSE**  me?" Steve exclaimed.

"Oh yeah," Bronson said with a devious grin. "I know all about your little nickname in the Alliance. Mr. 'I-don't-smoke-or-drink-or-touch-drugs.'" I couldn't help but notice that he had said that last part mockingly.

Everyone simply shrugged, then said "Works for us."

"You guys suck," Steve said defectively. He sighed and said "Fine. But I'm picking Ashley's codename."

"Fair enough," Bronson said.

"It's 'Warrior,'" he said immediately.

Ashley stared at Steve for a few seconds, then shrugged, deciding not to even bother. "Alright," she said, "Tali can be 'Savant.'"

Tali looked at the gunnery chief and asked "Savant?"

"It means 'expert,'" I explained.

"Oh. Well, I guess it can work," Tali said contently.

"And Liara's can be 'Blue,'" Natasha said with a mischievous smile.

Liara looked a bit confused by her choice of a codename. "Just go with it," Steve said. "You'll get less of a headache that way."

"Very well," Liara said. As she got up, she stumbled a bit before falling into my arms.

"You okay, Liara?" I asked.

Blushing madly, she got up and said "Yes, I'm just a bit woozy, that's all."

"When was the last time you ate?" Kaidan asked with concern. "Or slept?" When he didn't receive an answer, he shook his head and said "Dr. Chakwas should take a look at you."

"It is probably just mental exhaustion," Liara said reassuringly, "coupled with the shock of discovering the Prothean's true fate." Bringing a hand to her head, she continued "I just need some time to process all of this. Still, it would not hurt to be examined by a medical professional. It will give me the chance to think things over. Are we done here?"

I nodded. "Dismissed, everyone. Let's get back to it."

Everyone started getting up when Joker once more came over the intercom.  _"I filed the report to the Council. Also, Udina, Raan, and Anderson are with them. Guess they heard about Stark being on board. You want me to connect you three to the Council?"_

We all nodded at each other in agreement, with Tony deciding to stick around. "Patch 'em through, Joker," I said.

" _Alright, setting up the link now."_

The conference table and chairs began to sink into the floor. As they disappeared from sight, the tabletop lit up, thus revealing itself to be a holographic displayer. The images of the Councilers, the Alliance ambassadors, and Anderson then appeared in front of us. Even from across the galaxy, the image was clear enough to see Udina had been tearing his hair out trying to deal with the whole Stark situation. I chuckled at the thought.

" _Commander Shepard, Lieutenant-Commander Shepard, Michael,"_  Tevos said.  _"I understand that the mission was a success. And that you have gained some new crew members."_

" _I trust you are taking all the necessary precautions in keeping Dr. T'Soni on board?"_  Valern asked.

"Don't worry," I said. "She's not a threat to us. To Saren, maybe. Could be why he tried to have her killed."

Tevos looked genuinely shocked at the news.  _"Benezia would_ _ **never**_ _let Saren try to kill her daughter,"_  she said slightly disturbed.  _"Maybe...maybe she didn't know about it?"_

" _Or maybe we don't know_ _ **her**_ _,"_  Sparatus said.  _"We never expected that she would turn traitor."_

"Third option," Tony said as he walked up into the Councilor's view. "She did know, but she couldn't do anything to stop it. And there's also a fourth option. She could have either been forced into helping him, or she was brainwashed."

"My money's on brainwashed," I said with a nod.

" _That reminds me,"_  Udina said, sounding rather upset.  _"Why the hell were you on Therum, Stark, at the time our first SPECTREs were there on a mission?"_

"Simple," he said with a deadpanned expression. "After I heard about Michael becoming a SPECTRE, I hacked Alliance communication channels in order to find out where he was going next. That way, my friends and I would be able to meet up with him there."

The way he had said it, so matter-of-factly, made Natasha, Steve, and I break out in large grins. Udina, however, looked like he was going to have a heart attack.  _"Stark, do you realize that doing that could get you locked away for a_ _ **long**_ _time in an Alliance prison?!"_

"Hey!" Natasha said defensively. "If Stark hadn't shown up when they did, our mission would have ended in failure, and Liara would either have been Saren's prisoner or another casualty! So do us all a favor and  **CAN IT, ASSHOLE!** "

Udina looked simply flabbergasted. Everyone else was simply glad that someone shut him up, even the Councilors. "Word of advice," Steve said to Udina. "Just let her win. You'll have less headaches as a result."

Udina moved to talk, but Natasha's death glare cut him off, leaving him actually looking like he was sorry.  _"My apologies, Commander,"_  he said calmly,  _"I've just been having a bad day. Just...be careful. The last thing I need to hear is that you all got killed because you brought the wrong people on board."_

Natasha nodded. "Duly noted, sir."

 _"Still,"_ Anderson said,  _"what are you going to do now, Tony?"_

"Simple," Tony said with a wave of his hand, "I'm joining the  _Normandy_ team. I'll be helping out with both all technical matters-including this ship's kick-ass drive core-and I'll be assisting our three SPECTREs on ground missions. Same goes for Chief and-"

" _By Chief,"_  Raan interrupted,  _"are you talking about John-117, the Master Chief?"_

"He prefers to be called John off the field, ambassador Raan," I said.

That really got Udina to turn bright red.  _"So, not only will the Shepards and Michael be risking the life of the Alliance's top scientist,"_  Udina grinded out,  _"but also the life of one of our best soldiers?"_

"Pretty much," Tony said matter-of-factly. "I'm also going to be the  _Normandy's_  official benefactor."

Before Udina could go into another rant, Valern decided to step in.  _"Well, once again, we're glad that the mission was a success."_

Sparatus scoffed.  _"Yes, a complete success. Apart from the complete destruction of a Prothean ruin. Was that really necessary?"_

"That wasn't our fault!" Steve said defensively. "Someone shot a military-grade  _Quaker_  device into those ruins!  **That's**  what destroyed them!"

Tevos stepped back a bit in shock.  _"A_ _ **Quaker**_ ** _?!"_** she said, her voice giving a hint of her being slightly disturbed.  _"You're...you're absolutely sure that's what it was?"_

"Liara knew what it was the moment she saw it," Steve said. "I doubt she would make something like that up."

Tevos looked slightly worried.  _"How did Saren get his hands on a Quaker? Not even Benezia had clearance to access those."_

Tony stepped in again. "It wasn't Saren," he said. "It was a group called the Dark Hand."

" _The Dark Hand?"_  everyone asked.

"Long story," Tony said, "and I'm not really ready to talk about it twice in one day. Next time we meet, I'll tell you all I know."

The Council and ambassadors looked at each other, then simply nodded.  _"Very well,"_  Tevos said.  _"Until your next report, then."_  With that, their images disappeared.

Steve and Natasha sighed tiredly. "I know," Tony said. "I hate dealing with politics too."

"Ditto," I said.

* * *

_Chief's POV:_

* * *

This was an impressive ship, no two ways about it. It's nowhere  **near**  as awe-inspiring as the  _Forward Unto Dawn_ , or any other UNSC ship, but it was powerful in it's own right. It was small, fast, and it had a loyal crew. I could tell that from the moment I stepped on this ship, I was going to be in good hands.

However, there were some things I wasn't going to get used to right away. For example, having to sleep on an actual bed instead of a cryo pod (especially since the other ones can't fit me). I would also have to get used to working with aliens again (especially so many different kinds. At least they're all friendly, and not religiously fanatic like the Covenant).

But most of all, I was going to be fighting battles without  **her**.

The empty feeling came back.  _Keep it together, soldier. She wouldn't want you falling apart because of her._

Still, it was always hard knowing that she was gone. It hurt more than when Johnson was slain in front of my eyes. Hell, it hurt even more than when Sam died. It was as if a piece of my soul was ripped out as she disappeared into oblivion. Another friend who gave their life to protect mine. But she was more than just my friend. She was my partner, the one person who knew me better than anyone. And I couldn't save her.

" _Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep."_

Her words haunted me every time I went to sleep. I promised I would save her, and I failed. I told her that when I made a promise, I kept it. But I couldn't keep my promise. I couldn't save her.

And yet, she was okay with it, dying to save me. In fact, I think she was even happy, giving her life to save mine. But never again. I vowed after that day that no one else would die to save me. If need be, I will sacrifice myself to save my new team. Michael, Tony, Garrus, Anna, Rika, and the rest of the  _Normandy_  team. I won't let anyone else sacrifice themselves.

"You okay, Chief?"

I turned my attention to the voice's direction, and found myself staring down at Rika and one of Natasha's teammates, Ashley. From what Michael told me, she was a survivor of Eden Prime, as well as the granddaughter of General Williams. I'm still surprised that after what happened to her grandfather, she would choose to serve on a ship with aliens, especially Garrus. Still, she was a good soldier, loyal to a fault, and tough as nails. Something told me she was going to be fun to work with.

And Rika. She's still the same anti-gun cop she was when she, Garrus, and Michael found me at that facility. She carried an aura of peacefulness around herself, yet that hid the ferociousness beneath. A ferociousness I witnessed firsthand when the three of them rescued the other survivors and I from the Facility. I never thought blades could be so deadly against robots, but she proved me wrong that day. I'm glad she's here. It's always nice to have familiar faces around.

"So," Ashley said, a bit intimidated by my appearance, "you gonna just stand there all day, or are you actually going to do say something?" She also seemed to be as much of a smart ass as Cortana. Yeah, she'd definitely be interesting to work with.

"Actually," I said, "I was just lost in thought, Gunny."

She chuckled. "Sorry, just wondering if you're alright, that's all."

"Don't worry about John," Rika said while patting my back. "This guy can take care of himself."

Ashley shrugged and said "Okay, but you need a place to put your armor until we can get you your own locker. As it is, all the other ones are currently occupied."

"I'll brought my own armor locker, as well as a locker for my weapons," I said plainly.

Rika and Ashley were both surprised by this information. "You have your own locker?" Rika asked.

I nodded. "I brought it here from the ship Stark used to bring the three of us to Therum. Rogue and Stark brought theirs as well."

"Well, damn," Ashley said with a smirk and a whistle, "you guys thought of everything."

" _We do our best, ma'am."_

"Who said that?" Rika asked while looking around.

I sighed. "That would be J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark's personal A.I., hacking into my Omni-tool again. Which I asked him to not do, if memory serves."

A holographic eye appeared on my Omni-tool.  _"I'm sorry, sir,"_  J.A.R.V.I.S. said,  _"but this seemed to be the best way to introduce myself to the others while mister Stark is occupied."_

"Occupied?" I asked. "He should be out of the meeting by now. What could possibly keep him occupied?"

* * *

_Tony's POV:_

* * *

"So for centuries, it was believed that starship stealth was impossible to achieve," Adams explained, "because heat generated by shipboard operations was easily detectable in the absolute zero temperatures of space."

"So in order to counter this," I said, "you would need a way to hold in the heat emissions so you can go undetected."

"Which led to installing lithium heat sinks deep within the  _Normandy's_  hull. This IES can allow us to travel across star systems undetected. However, we have to vent the heat every few hours during flight, or else we'd all be cooked alive."

"Though I bet it still has a few flaws. Like being able to be spotted from visuals."

"True, but nowadays people rarely look out a window to look for a ship, they just rely on scanners to find what they're looking for. However, the IES blue shifts the ship's heat emissions beyond our capacity to store them if we use it during FTL travel."

A second passes. I smile and said "It's nice to meet someone on this ship who speaks English."

From his spot at the table, Michael mumbled "Is that what that was?"

Tali walked up to us and put down her tray of food. She's lucky this ship had dextro-food, otherwise she would've starved. "Engineer Adams, this ship is amazing!" she said gleefully. "I had no idea the Alliance's ships were so advanced!"

"Actually," I said, "this ship's a prototype, fitted with cutting edge technology." I leaned back, put my hands behind my head, and placed my feet on the table. "I should know, seeing as I helped make it."

Her eyes widened behind her visor, and Michael's jaw dropped to match her shock. "You helped make the  _Normandy_?!" they both said in surprise.

"Yeah," Adams said with a smile. "In fact, this guy helped equip the ship with his company's top of the line shielding technology. Mixed in with some turian tech, of course."

"Got to hand it to the birds," I said with a smirk, "they know how to build a ship."

"I think I'm starting to realize why the Alliance is so powerful," Tali said in awe, "especially if we're capable of making ships this small with drive cores so large."

Michael looked to her and said with a chuckle "What are you, a ship otaku?"

She brought her hands up defensively.  **"NO!"**  she cried out. "Nonononono...well, maybe." She slightly chuckled and said "I guess some quarian traits are hard to let go of, especially when we now have planets we can call home like Earth, Eden Prime, and Terra Nova...though for now, I guess Eden Prime is out of the question at the moment."

Michael placed his hand on hers. "Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "They'll be back on their feet in no time. And by the time they do, Saren will have answered for his crimes."

Tali's head shifted in a way that I could tell meant she was happy. "I know," she said. "But it's nice to hear that."

I decided to lighten the mood a bit. "So," I said with a grin, "would you mind telling me about quarian culture?"

She seemed to light up at that. "Well, for starters, quarians are a very closely-knit society. It comes from having lived on ships for centuries. As a result, we tend to think of each other as a bit of a family. And because of that, we usually act with the interest of others in mind. A single action affects our entire race as a whole."

"Why were ya livin' on ships for centuries?" Rogue asked as she took a seat right next to Michael. From the way Tali tensed up, I could tell she was a bit jealous.  _Looks like_ _ **someone's**_ _popular with the ladies,_  I thought as I forced back a grin. I also couldn't help but feel there would be a rivalry brewing between the two women, but I decided to  **not**  warn Michael. More fun to let him figure it out on his own.

"The reason," Tali said with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "is because of the geth. They tried to kill us, and forced us off our own planet."

Rogue looked surprised by this. "Wait, why'd the geth try to kill your people?"

Tali sighed. "About 300 years ago, the quarians weren't known as pariahs of the galaxy before allying with humanity. We once lived on Rannoch, our home planet, and many colony worlds. We had an embassy on the Citadel, and were well on our way to gaining a seat on the Council." She hung her head, her shoulders slouched in a way to indicate shame. "And then we created the geth."

"Your people created the geth?!" We turned to the source of the voice, finding Chief towering over us. The sudden and stealthy appearance of the SPARTAN was enough to send a few of us jumping from our seats. He realized his unintentional mistake, and apologized.

"It's fine," Adams said kindly, "just try to make noise next time."

Chief nodded slightly. "Noted. Now, why did the quarians make the geth?"

"Originally, they were created to assist quarians with jobs they couldn't handle, or with simple work like farming," Tali explained. "When we created them, we saw them as a boon for our people. Until some bosh'tet got the bright idea to try increasing their intelligence, in order to make them able to do more complex work."

"You were doing A.I. testing," I said. "Last time I checked, the Council was against that sort of thing."

Tali put her hands up defensively. "It wasn't true A.I. research, Mr. Stark. We were only increasing their intelligence enough so that they could carry out more work, all while staying below self-awareness. Unfortunately, we underestimated their neural network."

"Their what?" Michael said.

"It's what makes them so efficient," Tali said. "Alone, a geth unit barely has any intelligence. Place it near ten geth units, and their intelligence increases as a result."

"So they're like a hive mind?" Adams asked.

"It's more complicated than that," Tali responded, "but I suppose it is an apt comparison. The neural network allowed geth to share data with each other simultaneously, allowing them to better tackle a job efficiently. Unfortunately, this system helped facilitate our exile.

"After our experiments, the geth had indeed become a better workforce. However, their neural network helped to increase that intelligence even more. Eventually, a geth unit asked it's master a question only a sentient being would ask. It asked if it had a soul."

" _May I inquire what is so disturbing about that question, Miss Zorah?"_  J.A.R.V.I.S. asked from my Omni-tool.

Tali recoiled at my trusty friend's appearance, but calmed down enough to continue (although I could tell she was a bit off put by the fact that J.A.R.V.I.S. was here at all, and that she was keeping an eye on him). "The problem," she answered nervously, "is that they were becoming sentient. And while something like a V.I. is content with manual labor, a sentient being will eventually want to become more than simple workers. They would become fully aware, and would rebel against us in an attempt to free themselves from us. We decided to take the pre-emptive shot and try to shut them all down."

I stared at her for a few seconds, absorbing what she said. I then shook my head. "You really fucked up."

Her head shot up in response to my comment, as well as the heads of everyone else at that table. "What?" she said.

"Let me put it in a way you can understand," I continued. "You guys brought it on yourselves. Attacking the geth when they wanted to understand themselves, especially when they were becoming more lifelike, put you guys in the wrong."

I could feel her angry gaze burrowing into me from across the table. "You can't be serious!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in anger. "If we hadn't acted first, we would've surely been killed off when they attacked!"

"But what if they didn't want to attack you?" I asked as I started to get annoyed. "What if your pre-emptive strike forced the geth into attacking you?"

"That's ridiculous!" she yelled. "As soon as they began showing self awareness, they would've eventually rebelled, not wanting to simply do menial labor!"

"You don't know that," I said.

"I do! They're nothing but machines, incapable of being reasoned with! They're not even ali-"

Chief slammed his fists on the table, splitting it in two and shocking her- and the rest of us- into silence. I could tell it took all of his willpower to  **not**  throw her across the room. "Even A.I.s can feel," Chief said coldly. "If you don't believe that, then the quarians deserved to lose their planet."

He got up and headed to the elevator, leaving everyone there stunned in silence. Getting up myself, I threw in one last barb. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

I then headed toward the elevator just as the doors were about to close, joining Chief in the enclosed confines. As the slow moving compartment moved down, J.A.R.V.I.S. popped up and said  _"You didn't have to do that, you two."_

I sighed. "No, J.A.R.V.I.S., we did. I can't stand it when someone says that people like you aren't alive."

" _It doesn't bother me as much as it used to,"_  he said matter-of-factly.  _"But I'm glad you still stand up for us. Both of you."_

"I was simply stating the truth, sir," Chief responded.

I smiled at my companion's response. "Hey, what are friends for?"

* * *

_Liara's POV:_

* * *

I could hear the yelling from all the way back here. It is times like these that I'm glad I do not hang around with others very often. I would have really hated to have been in the middle of that argument. "Doctor," I called out, "what exactly are they talking about?"

Doctor Chakwas opened the door and poked her head in. "Oh, Tali and Stark were talking about whether or not it was right to attack the geth when they started becoming sentient," she said as if she were stating the weather. "As if they even need to. Synthetics aren't really alive, so I would have to side with Tali. Though if I know Greg, he'll probably side with Tony."

Right after she said that, Tali raised her voice enough so that I could almost make out what she was saying. Chakwas smiled and said "It looks like Master Chief  **and**  Tony succeeded in pissing off Tali. I suppose I should've seen that coming."

That caught my attention. "I take it you are on friendly terms with Mr. Stark?" I asked politely.

She chuckled. "Know him? Hell, I've been taking care of him ever since he was saved from that hellhole." She frowned at that. "What Tony went through there...no living being should ever be subjected to."

I looked down in shame. "I am sorry," said. "I did not mean to make you think about that."

She smiled a warm smile. "It's alright, Liara," she answered. "Now, I would recommend getting some rest, seeing as you're still recovering from your time in that bubble of energy."

"Then I guess we chose the wrong time to come in here?"

I looked behind Dr. Chakwas to find Commander Natasha Shepard standing in the doorway, as well as a human male with dark skin and golden irises. I believe Natasha said his name was Malak. I got up and said "I do not mind. Please, come in."

They nodded and let themselves in, passing by Dr. Chakwas as she walked out. As I turned my attention to my new guests, I noticed that Malak was looking a bit tired. "Are you alright?" I asked him.

He nodded. "Yeah, just needed to get away from Joe for a bit. Allah knows a mortal can only take so much in one day before he snaps."

That piqued my interest. "Allah?" I asked inquisitively.

"On Earth," Natasha explained, "humans are different in many ways. One of our main differences is in religion. While many religions today believe in a single God, they all have different beliefs. One such example is the monotheistic religion Islam, one of the three biggest religions of humanity. They believe in Allah, which translates to God."

"Really?" I asked. Now that I think about it, I never really paid that much attention to human cultures and beliefs, due to my work with the Protheans. Now that I'm staying on an Alliance ship, I had better start learning, especially since one of my teammates is a believer in one of Earth's main religions. Well, I had better start maing up for lost time. "Um, out of simple curiosity, what do the believers of Islam think of this Allah?"

"We believe that Allah is a unique being," Malak answered, "independent and indivisible of all creation. He is a universal God, an absolute being who integrates all goodness and harbors no evil."

"I see," I said with interest. "That sounds a bit similar to siari, the mainstream religion of the asari. It states that the universe is a consciousness, that all life is a part of a greater whole, and that death brings one's spirit back into the consciousness of the universe."

Natasha looked at me in slight awe. "So do the asari believe in reincarnation?" she asked.

"No," Malak answered. "To them, it's more like they believe that the spiritual energy they released upon death will one day separate from the galactic consciousness, in order to once more return to physical form."

Now it was my turn to be in awe. I did not think that there would be a human on this ship that knew how siari worked. It was nice to know that I was not surrounded by xenophobes. Though I could not exactly say the same about the XO of this ship, Pressley. I do not think he likes other aliens on board, except for the quarian, Tali'Zorah. Though with all the two species have been through, I would not expect anything less.

 _Wait, I am getting off topic._  Returning to the conversation, I asked "So what are your thoughts on death, mister...?"

"al-Maut," he answered. "But you can just call me Malak. And Islam believes in predestination, or divine destiny. Muslim faith dictates that Allah determines all actions, whether they are actions of good or evil. Nothing happens unless He allows it to happen.

"However, that does not mean He controls mankind," he continued. "He allowed us free will, thus allowing us to make our own choices. Destiny does not hold a cause-and-effect influence on humans, though. Our actions are always within His knowledge."

I sat in silence as I absorbed this information. To think that such faiths existed that believed in a scripted destiny, yet allowed its people free will. Truly, humans are a fascinating race. "That's fine and all," Natasha said, bringing me out of my musings, "but I prefer to make my own destiny. I just hate the idea that I'm following some life that's preordained by a being I can't even comprehend."

Malak nodded. "Understandable," he said. "A strong-willed person such as yourself would never accept such an idea. You will always try to make your own future."

"Damn straight," she said with a smile.

"So what religion do  **you**  believe in, Commander?" I asked.

She looked at me as if I had grown another appendage. "Huh?" she asked. "None."

"None?" Malak and I asked.

"Yep," Natasha said, "I'm an atheist."

Silence once again settled in the room. Although this time, it was an uncomfortable silence. "Ashley's probably not going to like hearing about that, Shepard," Malak said nervously.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"She's Catholic," he answered.

She lowered her head into her hands. "Fuck," she muttered.

"What is the matter with that?" I asked curiously.

"Well," Malak answered, "let's just say that Christians aren't to keen on the idea of someone not believing in a God of any kind. Especially their God."

"Oh," I said nervously. Suddenly, I feared what would ensue of the revelation of this knowledge to miss Williams. "Maybe she will understand?" I asked hopefully.

They chuckled a bit. "Good luck with that dream," Natasha said.

 _'Something's telling me this is going to be a long journey,'_ I thought to myself. With a small smile, I thought _'Though I suppose it'll give me more time to get to know the others. Especially Michael.'  
_

* * *

_Rogue's POV:_

* * *

Well, that conversation sure went to Hell in a hand basket.

As soon as Stark had stormed off, Tali just sat there fuming. I figured that it was probably best if she was left alone for now, so I convinced Michael and Adams to leave the are to avoid becoming the target of her anger. Michael and I headed up to Deck 1, as we chose to hide in the comm room for the time being.

"So," I said with a smile, "how much ya wanna bet Stark and Tali now hate each other?"

Michael returned my smile. "Oh, I already know she hates Tony," he answered. "Making others hate him is his super power, remember?"

We shared a good laugh at that. Yeah, he definitely had a way with making others not like him. Some would say it's all accidental. Others say it's him being a complete ass hat. Stark, however, would call it "the ol' Stark charm." Aptly named, seeing as it works perfectly for him.

"So," Michael said as soon as he caught enough of his breath, "how's life been treating you while I was out?"

"Actually," I said, "life's been good to me. Ah spent some time on Earth with Stark an' Chief, livin' with quarians in mah home state of Mississippi. They gave me this enviro-suit, taught me about the history an' cultures of this universe, and taught me some tech skills." I looked to him and said "They're a really great race, Michael. And a tragic one, also."

He nodded with a slight frown. "Yeah," he said, "they lose their whole planet, and the Council labels them pariahs. What a bunch of assclowns."

I smiled. "That's one way to describe th' Council. Anotha would be arrogant. They've been in power for millennia. Durin' that time, they've come to think that their way's the right way. They think they're invincible, but they're just settin' themselves up for the fall."

"Eh," he said, "I think Tevos is starting to see things our way. Who knows, she might actually become a public supporter for the Alliance."

"If that ever happens," I said with a grin, "Ah might have to have that Wrex guy slap me to make sure Ah'm not dreamin'."

"Be careful what you wish for," he said with a playful push.

Chuckling, I looked at him and went silent. He'd barely changed at all in the past year. He still held on to his 'no killing anyone' rule (except the geth, though he explained that destroying their bodies doesn't kill them, it just destroys their avatars. The geth programs just head back to their server, make new bodies, then joins the fight again. I guess that would make it easier for anyone against killing to shoot a geth). He was still a tad introverted around others, though not enough to make him reclusive. If anything, he liked hanging around with others, and could merely be content to listen to people (though he'd voice his opinion when necessary).

If anything, he only changed physically. He was still taller than me, though a foot or two shorter than Garrus. His golden hair had lengthened, reaching down to his shoulders. And his eyes. My God, his eyes were the same as ever. A warm, golden gaze that hid a person as insecure about himself as me. Yet that gaze also held the look of someone who would lay down their life to save an innocent person. That right there is one of the reasons I like him.

But the biggest physical change was his left leg. It was replaced below the knee with a cybernetic leg (most likely due to that monster that attacked him and made him disappear). It tore me up, thinking that beast had not only maimed him so much that it nearly killed him, but tore off his leg, too. And I couldn't do anything to help him. I couldn't repay the debt I owed him for saving me.

" _There wasn't anything you could've done. If anything, you would've added to the body count. It doesn't matter now, though. You're here now, Anna. You can help him now. That's a good way to repay you're debt."_

_Heh. Good to hear you too, Hikari._

"Wait a minute," Michael said with a shocked look on his face, "how the blazes do you know Hikari?"

My head shot up in surprise. Honestly, I was not expecting anyone to hear what she said to me. Does that mean he's starting to...

" _Huh,"_  the other worldly being said in surprise,  _"it appears you're starting to get your old powers back. Interesting."_

" _You call it interesting,"_  Bronson's voice said,  _"the rest of us call it creepy."_

" _On that, we can agree,"_  Malak thought.

" _Yep,"_  thought Tony.

...

...

" _Wait..._ _ **HOW CAN WE ALL HEAR EACH OTHER'S THOUGHTS?!**_ ** _"_**

" _Oh, it's not just you five,"_  Hikari said,  _"Chief and Rika can hear us too."_

" _Yeah,"_  Rika thought nonchalantly.  _"We just choose to not say anything."_

" _Mainly because we don't really have anything to say that's important," Chief_  continued.

"Wait a minute," Michael said, "how in the galaxy can we do this? What's going on, Hikari?"

" _All will be revealed in time,"_  she answered calmly.  _"In the meantime, make yourselves comfortable in this universe. Because you're gonna be here for a while. Oh, and watch out for Barry. Well, see ya!"_  And just like that, she was gone.

Silence once more ruled the room. Only this time, it was an uncomfortable silence. "Well," I said nervously, "at least that's out of the way."

Michael laughed a bit, though it was more of a nervous laugh. "Tell me about it."

" _Anyone want something to eat?"_  Bronson thought.

Lord, this was gonna be a long journey. Well, at least I can spend it with Michael. Now, if only we could find a way to keep Bronson quiet, then it would be paradise.

Steve walked into the comm room. "Oh, here you guys are," he said with a smile. He looked at us and said "So, what did I miss?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the plot thickens! Why do these select people have the ability to communicate telepathically with each other? Will this unseen bond help strengthen the team or weaken it? Can John learn to live without his most faithful friend at his side? How will the relationship between Michael and Liara evolve? Will Rogue act on her feelings for her savior? How will the tension between Tali and Tony play out in the future? And how many of these questions will be answered in the span of the next few chapters?
> 
> Also, I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but there's no promises. Until then, review and leave a comment, please.
> 
> BUT NO FLAMES!


	11. The Incursion, Pt 1: Counterattack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, baby! So let's do this!
> 
> Now, if this took too long to write, I'm sorry! But in my defense, my stupid charger wasn't working, so I could no longer write this chapter on my laptop due to it running out of energy. Sometimes, I think tech just hates me.
> 
> Anyway, this is going to be the first chapter in the story based on the Mass Effect assignment "Geth Incursion." Hope you like it.
> 
> Also, this arc will be focusing on Tali. What, did you expect the hero to have all the fun in this story?
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not own Mass Effect, Halo, X-Men, Iron Man, or anything related to them. As much as I would like to, I don't.

_Tali's POV:_

* * *

It's been a few days since I officially labeled Tony Stark as a stupid, egotistical  **bosh'tet**. To think that not only did say that my people attacking the geth was wrong, but that we brought our exile on ourselves! He obviously hasn't seen what cruelty the geth are capable of.

And the worst part? When I talked to Michael, he seemed like he agreed with Stark! Even though he said he didn't think the quarians brought our plight onto ourselves, he actually believed that the geth would be willing to co-exist with the quarians! That stupid bosh'tet! I got so angry with him that I haven't even spoken a word to him since.

Now, I think I might've been too harsh on him…okay, a lot of what I said, I'm sure I didn't mean. But in my defense, I tended to say things like that when I got mad. And then later on, I would start to regret it if I had said it to someone I trust. Like right now.

_Keelah, I can be such a bitch sometimes. There has to be a way to talk with him again and get past this._

As I began thinking of ways to start talking to Michael again, he sat down with me in the mess hall, along with Stark, Garrus, and Kaidan.  _Well, this works too, I guess._  "Ummm…"

Michael nervously chuckled. "Uhhh…hey."

Even though he couldn't see, I smiled at him. "Hey."

He coughed and said "Look, about the other day-"

"No, I'm sorry," I said bringing my hands up. "Talking about the geth is a touchy subject for my people. So, I'm sorry if I said anything that-"

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay," I said in defeat, "I'm sorry for saying what I said to you."

"Yeah," he said, "and I'm sorry for making you mad. Tony is, also," he continued as he jabbed his thumb at Stark, who smiled sheepishly. "I should've remembered that you and the geth don't have the best past, so, I'm sorry for making you mad. It's just, I believe that all life, both synthetic  **and**  organic, are capable of living together. All it takes is a chance to try."

In a way, I can understand that. Humans have been able to live with quarians and A.I.s since the Contact War. From that background, it would make sense that he would believe that even the geth deserve a chance. "I understand," I said sympathetically. "I don't exactly agree with you, but I understand."

He smiled and said "So, are we friends again?"

I chuckled. "Yeah, we're friends again."

"Good," Stark said with a grin, "Garrus and I were afraid we were going to have to deal with the tension between you two for the rest of the mission."

"You, however, are still a bosh'tet," I said with a deadpanned tone.

He shrugged. "What else is new?"

Michael and I chuckled at that. "So," Michael said, "how've things been going?"

"Not so good," I answered wearily. "I…haven't been getting a lot of sleep."

Michael's face became concerned at that. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Well, it's just that the  _Normandy_  runs so quietly, it's like we're not eve moving. If anything, I guess it's the silence."

"You can't sleep because it's too quiet?" Garrus asked.

"That's right," I answered with a nod. "You see, I've lived on a ship my entire life. Keelah, I'm one of the fraction of quarians that still live on ships. And on a quarian vessel, the last thing you want to hear is silence. It means that an engine died, or a vital system is offline."

Michael nodded at that. "So, because you're so used to noise, you can't sleep without it. It's become like a necessary white noise for you."

I shrugged. "I suppose."

"Well, if you want," Stark said, "we can put some noisy fans in your room and leave them on. That way, you can have enough white noise to sleep with, and that means a well rested engineer who won't fall asleep on the job. That, in turn, will prevent us from experiencing an accident that will leave all of us dead."

Michael shook his head at that. "Tony, you're a good guy, but you can be such an asshole at the same time," he said with a deadpanned tone. "You know that, right?"

Stark answered with another shit eating grin. "It's the dual nature of my charm."

"How do people put up with you?" Garrus asked.

"Easy," he replied, "you just learn to live with it. Unless you don't, in which case you become a super villain who wants to kill me."

Confused at that statement, I tilted my head and asked "Super villain?"

Everyone there looked a bit confused at my question. At least, until Kaidan cleared things up. "I guess you don't read comic books?" he asked. I shook my head. "Well, neither have I, so I can't help you there. Maybe Stark or Michael could?"

Upon hearing that, Michael cleared his throat to begin explaining. "A super villain," Michael said, "is often a being with super powers like flight, super strength, control over the elements, all that jazz. They're like super heroes, except that they use their powers for personal gain, and they often don't care who they hurt or kill to get what they want. Super villains are pretty much the polar opposite of super heroes."

"Why would anyone do that?" I asked, a bit disturbed at this knowledge.

"More often than not," Stark said, "they let the power go to their heads. They believe that they can do anything with their powers, that they deserve what they want. And like Michael said, they'd be willing to kill to get what they want."

I gasped. "That's horrible," I said as I brought my hand up to my mouth…well, mouthpiece. "If these kind of people have powers, what's to stop these 'super heroes' from becoming like their enemies?"

Kaidan's face grew a bit dark at that. "Not a lot," he answered. "All it could take is a push in the right direction for a hero to fall. Because being evil is easy. The easiest thing in the galaxy. But to be a hero?" He chuckled a bit before he continued. "To always protect the people, to adhere to a moral code, to always do the right thing, even if it benefits others instead of yourself? That takes determination. Especially to do it every day, even if everyone is against you when you do it."

I looked at Stark in slight wonder. "Is that what you go through?" I asked.

Stark smiled slightly. "All the time," he answered.

It was right then that I believed I had begun to gain a new form of respect for Stark. In a way, he's kind of like a quarian. He always thought about the needs and welfare of others instead of himself. And he kept doing it, even if he would become hated by the very people he protected. But there's also another reason behind it. Something that drove him to do what he does. I could tell it's a sensitive subject, so I chose to leave it be for now.

"You know something, Stark?" I said after about a minute of silence. "I think I might be starting to like you again."

He smiled. "Thank you, miss Zorah nar Rayya."

"Please," I said, "just call me Tali."

He shrugged. "Okay, Tali."

After that, we began to talk some more about each other. Kaidan was apparently one of the few human biotics who used an L2 implant. From what I learned about them, the L2 implants tended to give a biotic some nasty side effects. These side effects ranged from headaches to crippling pain to insanity. Thankfully, Kaidan only got the headaches. I started to admire how he just sticks to the L2 implant, even though it hurt him to use it. He must have a strong spirit to keep it up.

Stark was an earthborn, the son of a genius inventor. Even from a young age, Stark showed he had a brilliant mind. When he was in charge of his father's company, he had created devices that helped people and devices that killed people. He only stopped making the latter after he saw that his weapons were being used to hurt the people they were meant to protect. Inspired by someone who saved his life, he swore to protect the world from destroying itself, and became the Iron Man to do just that. Though the armor had weapon capabilities, Stark insisted on his belief that the suit is not a weapon, but a full body prosthesis capable of self-defense. I, however, believe it is one of the modern marvels of engineering. Now if only Stark will let me study it.

Garrus was like most turians. He was born on Palaven, the turian homeworld. His father, a turian named Tyvern Vakarian, was a former C-Sec officer, and a decorated war hero. After Garrus completed his military training, he chose to follow in his father's footsteps and became a C-Sec officer as well. However, he hated having to work with the restrictions, regulations, and red tape. In fact, he felt that they were only there to keep him from doing his job. Especially when he and Rika were investigating Saren.

Apparently, the main reason Garrus was so eager to investigate and bring down Saren was because he felt the bosh'tet was a disgrace to all turians (something I can agree with). He went on to say that he looked forward to working with SPECTREs, as they don't have to worry about that sort of thing. From the look on Michael's face, he didn't like the way Garrus thought about that. In fact, I think he said something about how it was important to know that just because you  **can**  break the law as a SPECTRE, doesn't mean that you  **should**.

At that point, we heard the crackle of the intercom turning on.  _"All ground team members, report to the comm room,"_  Steve Shepard said.  _"We've got a new mission on our plates for those who want it."_

Michael sighed. "Well," he said with a smile, "duty calls."

* * *

After we all sat down in our seats, Natasha brought up the Galaxy Map in the center of the table. "Alright people, listen up. Based on what Urdnot Grell told us, as well as Michael's suggestions," she said giving a knowing nod at Michael, "we have discovered a geth incursion here, in the Armstrong Cluster." As she said this, the map zoomed in on the cluster in question. The cluster had five systems in it, and four of them were blinking.

"I take it those are where the geth are stationed?" I asked.

"Correct," Steve said with a nod. "These four systems have a single geth outpost in each one," he continued pointing at each system. "We have reason to believe that one of these outposts is acting as their Forward Operating Base. We take it down, along with the other outposts, and we can stop the incursion before it can gain momentum."

Rogue raised her hand. "Do we know which base is the main one?" she asked.

Natasha sighed at that. "No. Unfortunately, we can't hack their communications. That means we have no way of knowing where the FOB is located."

"Or how much resistance we can expect to encounter," Michael said with slight annoyance in his tone.

"So," Wrex said lazily, "the plan is to simply hit every base, wipe it out, and hope we take the main base down along the way? Along with having to deal with who knows how many geth at each one?"

The three SPECTREs looked at each other, then shrugged. "Pretty much," they said in unison.

Silence filled the room for a few seconds. "Fuck it," the krogan Battlemaster said as he simply shrugged. "I'm game."

Steve nodded. "Okay, everyone, we've got a few hours before we get there. Until then, ready your weapons, check your systems, and relax a bit. A soldier's useless in the field if they don't rest as well as fight."

With that, we retreated back to our stations. Michael set up his gear, had Ashley triple check everything, and decided to help out in engineering. "If I'm going to be on this ship," he said as he asked Engineer Adams for a temporary position here, "then I'm going to have to pull my own weight around here." Adams and Stark were both happy to get an extra set of hands to help out. I was busy thanking the ancestors for giving me this opportunity to talk to him more.

_Keelah, I don't know what it is about that guy, but I can't seem to focus much on anything when he's around. Seriously, why can't I stop staring at him whenever I get the chance? Why does my heart seem to skip a few beats when he looks right at me. And why's my face feeling warm whenever I think about him too much? I really hope this isn't some kind of sickness. But if it is, then I really don't want to get better._

"TALI!"

Adam's screaming brought me out of my thoughts. As I looked up, I saw that I was simply checking the same system. Over and over. For ten minutes.  _Oh, Keelah._  "S-Sorry. I, uh, I had a lot on my mind. You know, with the, um geth incursion, and all."

He smiled and put his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, it's alright. We're going to stop those flashlights before they can even get a fleet into the system."

I smiled in return and nodded. Even though I had lied about what was  **really**  on my mind, I couldn't help but think about how the mission. I mean, I haven't really fought against a geth before, let alone a whole squadron of them. The only time I ever managed to actually get up close to a geth was when I got the audio log that condemned that bosh'tet Saren. But my people knew more about the geth than anyone else, so that had to give us an advantage. And between myself and (I couldn't believe I thought this) Stark, we should be able to push them out no problem. Hell, maybe there was actually a worthy Pilgrimage gift to be found on this mission.

* * *

"What is the Pilgrimage, anyway?" Michael asked.

We were in the cargo hold along with Ashley, Garrus, and John. Wrex was in his room modifying his weapons for when he would get a chance to fight. Michael and I were here because Adams kicked us out for a while. Apparently, Michael wasn't that good with running the drive core…okay, he completely sucked with working on tech. Based on how badly Michael was working in there, Adams felt that Michael would be better suited helping out Ashley with maintaining weapons (something he proved to be surprisingly good at, even to himself).

Adams also said he felt that I was running my self too ragged, especially when Michael was around. So until further notice, I'm on break. During that time, I decided to talk with the others about quarian culture. Which, of course, eventually led to the Pilgrimage.

"Originally," I said with a bit of pride, "the Pilgrimage was a rite of passage to earn your place among the flotilla. When a quarian became of age, we would get sent out, and would spend months, even years traveling the galaxy. We would only return to the fleet when we brought back something to show our worth, a Pilgrimage gift."

"What kind of gift?" Ashley asked. I could tell she was genuinely interested in this, as well as Garrus. John, however, was a bit difficult to read. Though I assumed he was just as interested as the others.

"Well," I began, "it would have to be something of value. For example, a gift could be vital technology, food and/or fuel, or even a new starship to add to the Flotilla. Another useful Pilgrimage gift could be useful data, which could help make life easier for others living on the Flotilla."

"What happens after you find a good gift for your Pilgrimage?" Garrus asked.

I allowed myself to feel some pride and happiness in knowing that there were actually people her (apart from humans) that truly cared about quarian culture and traditions. I then went on to say "At that point, a quarian would present the gift to the captain of the ship they want to join. The captain will accept the gift, and that quarian will change the 'nar' in their name to 'vas,' which proves we are full-fledged adults in quarian society."

"But what if the gift isn't adequate enough?" John asked curiously. "Does the captain just reject the gift?"

"No, not really," I explained. "The gift is usually accepted by the captain, even if it isn't particularly valuable. It's mostly done out of a sense of tradition. However, there's a stigma to quarians who present a sub-standard Pilgrimage gift, like a derelict ship. Those quarians are usually treated disdainfully."

"Yeah," Ashley said with some humor in her voice. "I'd bet that wouldn't be the best way to make a first impression to one's future crewmates."

I chuckled at that. "That's one way of putting it. Still, it helps to show that a quarian has reached adulthood. But presenting a sub-standard gift would be a really bad idea, especially for me. You see, I'm the daughter of Rael'Zorah vas Alarai."

"Who's that?" John asked.

Ashley looked at him incredulously. "You're kidding, right?" she asked. "Rael'Zorah is an admiral of the Migrant Fleet. There are five admirals in all, and they're pretty much the leaders of the quarian people. That pretty much makes Tali-"

"A princess?" Michael asked.

I sighed. "No, I'm not. Though I did receive quite a bit of special treatment growing up." I shook my head a bit, as I noticed we were in danger of going off topic. "But as the daughter of an admiral, I absolutely cannot return with a sub-standard gift. It would reflect badly both on myself, and my father."

Ashley and Garrus nodded at that. "Yeah, I can understand that," Garrus said. "You want to find something to make your old man proud. Just be careful it doesn't cost you, or him, though."

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing," I said reassuringly. "Among the rules of searching for a Pilgrimage gift, there is one that is absolute: the gift cannot be gained through the harm of another, be it quarian or otherwise."

Michael nodded. "Makes sense," he said. "If all gifts were attained through force and harm, the quarians would be no better than the batarians."

I shuddered at that. In no way did I ever want my people to be compared to those bosh'tets. Especially not after… _no, don't think about that, girl. That's the_ _ **last**_ _thing you should be thinking about._  "We also are taught two code phrases to speak for when we return to the Fleet," I said in an attempt to move away from the subject. "One of the phrases means we have achieved a successful mission, and we are welcomed back with open arms."

"And the other?" Michael asked intently.

I sighed. "The second code phrase means we are returning under duress, most likely someone trying to sneak onto the Flotilla to harm us. At which point, the rest of the Fleet opens fire and destroys the ship returning."

"Damn," Ashley said as she turned a bit pale at that. "You guys don't fuck around when it comes to each other."

"No," I said grimly. "We don't."

After a few seconds of silence, Michael asked "What became of the Pilgrimage after the quarians settled down with the human race?"

"Well," I answered, "most of my people decided to live in human society. Because of that, the Pilgrimage now allows quarians to prove their worthiness through civic service. That means that they work at a job for a number of years, or join the Alliance military until they have proven they can be working members of society."

John and Ashley nodded at that. "Yeah, I worked alongside some quarians in basic training," Ashley said with a smile. "Trust me, you do  **not**  want to mess with them in a fight. They're crafty little guys."

That earned a few chuckles from everyone gathered. "I take it, though, there are still some quarians who go through the original Pilgrimage?" John asked.

I nodded. "Yes. Mainly those quarians are the ones who live on the Flotilla. However, there are still some earthbound quarians who go onto the original Pilgrimage, out of a sense of tradition."

The others nodded in understanding. "Now  **that's**  commitment," Michael said.

At that point, Steve Shepard walked up to us, with the rest of the team right behind him. "Alright," he said as he clapped his hands, "here's the game plan, people. I'm taking a squad of six with me to the first of the four geth outposts. Tali, Malak, Rogue, Kaidan, Garrus, you five are coming down with me. Joker's going to drop us off a few clicks from the area the Danger Zone is located in."

That got quite a few of us tilting and scratching our heads in confusion. "I'm talking about the immediate area the mission takes place in," Steve explained. "A place that, on missions, I like to call the 'Danger Zone.'"

After a few seconds of silence, Michael brought his left hand up to his face and shook his head in shame. "You  **can't**  be serious," he said in a tone that said  _Idiot_.

Steve smiled and said "What? It's not my fault I like the song." That just earned him a bunch of groans from those who seemed to get what he was saying. I would have to ask him what he was talking about after the mission.

"Alright, everyone," Kaidan said, "let's get to it! The sooner we get this planet done, the sooner we can get on to the next one." Following that, we prepared our weapons for the mission, in case we needed to fight on foot. Garrus only took his Mantis sniper rifle and a Vindicator battle rifle; Rogue armed herself with a Lancer assault rifle, a Predator heavy pistol, and one of Django's weapons, an experimental SMG called the N7 Hurricane; Steve armed himself with N7 weapons, which included a Valkyrie assault rifle, a Crusader shotgun, an Eagle heavy pistol, and a Valiant sniper rifle; Malak already had his scythe at hand, so he was good to go; and as for me, I simply packed my Scimitar shotgun and a Carnifex heavy pistol.

"And remember," Steve said, "on missions, we refer to each other by codenames." With a nod from all of us, we all continued to ready ourselves for the mission.

* * *

After getting suited up and armed to the teeth, I decided to see which planet we were going to first. Apparently, our first stop was Maji, a desert-like planet in the Vamshi system. We headed for the  _Mako_  for a quick drop, but not before I heard Michael whisper his hopes that Steve wasn't as bad a driver as Natasha, or even worse than her. Somehow, his wish didn't make me feel any better.

The  _Normandy_  soon lurched forward, giving us the angle we needed to launch out of the ship and onto the ground below. As soon as we came to a complete stop, I allowed myself to look at the planet. With its suns red and blue, hovering over us like the lights of the Damned. I'll admit, the sight made me feel a little uneasy.  _The sooner we get rid of these geth, the better._

After a few minutes of checking the systems (which included making sure the guns were online and we weren't suffering from any structural damage), we started to explore the immediate area. Along the way, we found a crashed satellite to salvage; some materials to mine; debris originating from a turian colony; and an odd skull, as big as my body, lying in a hole. I shuddered as I thought about what kind of creature that skull belonged to. I prayed to the ancestors that I never found out.

As we headed back to the  _Mako_ , a projectile zoomed over the vehicle, landing and exploding a few feet away from us. We didn't wait for another round to fire before we zoomed away from the area. "Where the Hell did that come from?!" yelled Rogue.

"Sensors show the heat trail are coming from those mountains on our right!" I exclaimed. As if to punctuate my statement, another rocket landed near us, followed by two more in succession. We were already moving by the time a fifth rocket was launched.

As we headed toward the nearest mountain range, believing that was where the geth outpost was, I noticed some shapes in the distance that looked oddly quarian in design, but not quite. Upon a closer look, I saw that those were geth Heavy Turrets. As we neared the range, something set our alarms off. "Sir!" cried out Malak. "We've got more missiles inbound, and they're locked onto us!"  _Well, I guess the geth_ _ **are**_ _in the mountains after all._

Steve suddenly started pressing switches and pulled a few levers as soon as Malak finished. Before anyone could ask what he was doing, he yelled "Hold onto something!" A second later, we lurched as we seemed to be propelled upward. It was then that I remembered that the  _Mako_  had a short range rocket booster. That little trick seemed to save us from a good thrashing, as the rockets impacted and exploded right beneath us. A few seconds later, the  _Mako_  hit the ground with a  _THUD_ , causing everyone inside to shake about from the rough landing.

I quickly looked at the readout on our structure. "That explosion weakened a few of our wheels!" I cried out. "If they take another hit like that, or worse, we'll be as good as dead!"

"Got it!" Steve said as he headed toward us. "Sharp shot, take the cannon! See if you can take those turrets down!" As Garrus got seated, Steve continued "Azrael! Give us some Barriers! We need as much protection as we can get here!" The scythe wielding human nodded in response, and started glowing blue. A look outside showed that he had erected a blue Barrier around us, though not around the cannon. This allowed our former C-Sec officer to fire without hurting ourselves (and our vehicle) in the process.

After a few shots, Garrus managed to take down the first turret. This gave us enough of a gap to make a charge for the mountain. Unfortunately, our Barrier was preventing us from moving fast enough, meaning we kept getting hit every know and again. After the fifth hit, I yelled "How long do we have to keep this Barrier up, Commander?!"

Malak grunted as another blast hit us. "Yeah, I'm agreeing with Savant, sir," he said with effort. Keelah, his face was practically soaked with sweat. Maintaining his biotics on something this big for this long must be harder than it looks. "Unless Allah himself decides to lend me a hand with this," he continued, "I won't be able to maintain this for much longer."

Rogue went up to the struggling biotic and ungloved her hand. "Take five, sugah." With that, she touched his face and caused his eyes to widen in shock. Rogue moaned in slight pain, then cried in agony as she fell back, causing Malak to slump down in exhaustion. Unfortunately, this caused our Barrier to disappear.

"Azrael!" Steve cried as he looked back. "What the hell is going on back there?!" Silence greeted him. "Azrael?!"

At that, Rogue shakily stood up and glowed blue. She raised her hands, and another Barrier sprung into existence. Good timing, too, as a rocket was seconds away from impacting with us. "Alright," Steve said with relief, "don't do that again, Azrael."

"Um, Arrows?" I said with uncertainty, "Rogue's the one using the Barrier."

Everyone looked to Rogue, who was still holding up the Barrier (though she now seemed to be shaking from strain). "Figured Ah'd take th' load offa him fer now," she said shakily. "So could yah please keep drivin' now?"

With that, Steve continued his drive to the mountain, rockets continuing to pellet us. As the third rocket hit, I noticed the Barrier flicker a bit before returning to normal. "Is that supposed to happen?" Kaidan asked nervously. Obviously he had seen it too.

"Sorry," Rogue said with difficulty. The Barrier was flickering more and more, even more so as another rocket hit us. "Ah…can't…keep…this…up…much…longer…"

Suddenly, the Barrier seemed to regain its strength. Everyone looked back to see Malak was back on his feet, biotics blazing blue as Rogue dropped to the floor in exhaustion. "Good work, rookie," Malak said approvingly. "I'll take it from here, though."

For the next five minutes, we continued to inch closer and closer to the mountain, noticing that the blasts were increasing in frequency. A detail that Malak noticed all too well. "Sorry, guys," he said as he breathed heavily, "but I can't keep this up anymore."

Steve cursed under his breath. "Alright," he said, "drop the Barrier, Azrael. We'll take our chances with the armor." Malak breathed a sigh of relief as he dropped the Barrier, finally getting a chance to relax. Unfortunately for him, he was forced to move about as the  _Mako_ charged forward, which caused him to groan in discomfort.

Garrus wasted no time in returning fire at the turrets, managing to take down the second one after two shots from our cannon combined with continuous fire from the machine guns. At that point, we finally managed to reach safety under the cliffs of the mountain, giving us ample time to catch our breath (especially Malak).

After a few minutes, I began checking the  _Mako_  to see if anything was damaged by the turrets. Surprisingly, the only noticeable damage was to a section of our armor, nothing a bit of Omni-gel couldn't fix. "We should be good to go in about five minutes," I said as I started applying the Omni-gel. As the miracle substance started to do it's work, everyone went back to their positions.

"Okay," Steve said as he got behind the wheel, "as soon as the Omni-gel finishes up, we're going to make a run up the path leading to the outpost. Sharp shot, you get to use the main gun." The turian C-Sec agent's mandibles flared into a grin at that. "Elvis, keep an eye on our radar. I don't want to run into any more surprises on our way up." The human Sentinel nodded, buckling up for the ride ahead. "Rogue, can you put up another barrier?"

The enviro-suit-clad woman shook her head wearily. "No can do, Arrows. Ah'd need to be in contact with Azrael some more, and if Ah do that, he'd have ta spend the rest of th' mission restin'." She slumped into her seat. "Besides, Ah'm still tired from holdin' up that Barrier."

He sighed. "In that case, rest up and get ready to head outside and crack some synthetic skulls. Your ability to fly and your super strength are an advantage we have over the geth. One that I plan to exploit." Rogue nodded, and buckled herself down, as well. "Azrael, you're our backup. If things start going south, you're taking Rogue's place outside while she gets back into the  _Mako_." Malak nodded, and proceeded to rest some more.

A beep from my Omni-tool told me we were ready. I buckled myself down and said "We're good to go!"

With a feral grin, Steve started up the engine and cried out  **"BORN TO BE WIIIIIIIILLLD!"**

The  _Mako_ lurched forward, sending Malak sprawling across the floor again (he forgot to buckle up). We made our way up the hill, not encountering any geth turrets for now. This gave Malak the chance to crawl back into his seat, wearily reaching for his seatbelt. Before he could buckle up, a rocket exploded in front of us, shaking Malak out of his seat again.  _"Whhyyyyyyyy?"_  he moaned in pain as he slid across the floor.

Steve looked back at Kaidan and yelled "I thought I asked you to give us a heads up, Elvis!"

Kaidan shook his head. "Sorry, sir, but I didn't pick up anything! The damn thing must be out of range of our sensors!"

A shot emanated from our main gun, soon followed by the sound of machinery exploding. Garrus showed his face and said "Thankfully, it wasn't out of firing range."

That earned a chuckle from all of us. "What would we do without you?"

Garrus shrugged. "Elvis," the turian said, "maybe you should expand the range of the  _Mako's_ sensors. If an enemy can ambush us because of our limited sensor equipment, then it's time to trade up."

"Noted," Kaidan said with a smile. "I'll be sure to put in a requisition order."

"Or," Steve said, "you could let one of three certain SPECTREs get a new sensor system that are top of the line. That sound good, LT?"

Chucking, Kaidan replied "Yes, sir."

"Alright, then," Malak said groggily, "so before we keep on going, can I  **please**  have the chance to buckle up? So that I don't continue to be thrown about like a rag doll?"

Thankfully for Malak, Steve was generous enough to give him enough time to strap himself in before he started driving again. A good thing, too, as we received a rocket impact halfway up the pathway. A few well placed shots later, the turret was toast. The same could be said for the last two turrets. From then on in, it was smooth sailing to the outpost.

As soon as we reached level ground, Kaidan groaned in frustration. "Damn! Our radar's being jammed!"

"We must be close to the outpost," I said nervously. Dammit, even though I've got back up  **and**  a freaking  _Mako_  on my side, I'm still scared about fighting geth.

"Okay, people," Steve said as he stood up, "we'll rest here for fifteen minutes. Take that time to get ready for bringing that outpost down to the scrap yard." We decided to take him up on that offer, with Garrus calibrating the main gun, Kaidan checking our weapons and equipment, and Malak just taking a nap. I, on the other hand, was wringing my hands nervously, not even sure what to do.

Rogue sensed my anxiety and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry," she said softly, "we'll be fine."

I tensed as soon as I realized her hand was on me, remembering what Malak looked like when Rogue touched him. She noticed this, and took her hand off. "Sorry," she said as she hung her head.

I realized I must have offended her, and quickly said "No, its fine. I'm, uh, I just thought about…um…"

"What I did ta Malak?" she finished.

I nodded. Rogue sighed and turned to me. "Yeah, I guess I shoulda warned y'all 'bout that. Y'see, Ah'm what's called a 'mutant,' a human born with special abilities. Each mutant is unique, as they have their own different power. Mah power…rather, mah curse…Ah'm able to absorb attributes from other people: strength, powers, personality, memories. All through simply skin contact."

I stared at her with widened eyes. "Keelah," I said breathlessly, "that's incredible!"

Rogue scoffed. "Yeah, right up 'til I hurt someone." I tilted my head, not understanding what she meant. "Mah touch," she continued, "it's deadly. Th' longer I touch someone, the more Ah take from 'em. Th' longer Ah hold on, th' more likely that person goes into a coma. Or worse."

The entire  _Mako_  is silent. It's only then that I realized everyone else was listening. And they heard everything. "So, if you held onto me any longer…" Malak began.

Rogue nodded. "Th' more likely Ah coulda killed you. That's why Ah wear this suit around others. To protect them from mahself."

Steve place his hand on her shoulder, his face filled with pain from knowing her plight. "So you seal yourself of from others. Not even letting them get close to you." She nodded sadly. Sighing, Steve continued "I can't even imagine what that does to a person."

"Th' best part, though," Rogue continued, "is that mutants are human till they hit puberty. At that point, their powers come out. Ah was able ta touch people before Ah turned 15. From then on, though…" She purposefully trailed off, the memories obviously too much for her. Turning to Malak, she said "Sorry about that little surprise, Azzy."

Malak simply shrugged. "It's okay. Just warn someone before you do that again, okay?" Rogue nodded, and sat down next to me. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She knew what it was like to actually feel a person's skin against her own, to touch them with worrying about someone getting hurt. To have it all taken away from her, to be thrust into a life of physical solitude…she probably has it worst off than my people do.

The rest of our allotted time was spent in silence. Our weapons were fully functional, the main gun was calibrated to Garrus' standards, and our armor was at one-hundred percent capacity. "Let's send these geth to the scrap heap," Steve said as he drove the  _Mako_  forward.

A few seconds later, the outpost came into view. It looked like a palisade, with sniper towers all around. The entrance was simply an open gap, leading into a barren space within. No hubs, no generators, no weapon caches. Not even a single ship. "Looks like we found this place just as it got finished getting set up," Garrus said as he looked through the scope.

The place was understaffed, with only five Rocket Troopers and a single Sniper in the front towers. Suddenly, they turned their attention to us, their weapons aimed in our direction. "It also doesn't look like they're ready to receive any guests."

"Ready or not," Steve said with some glee in his voice, "here we come. Sharp shot, take out the Sniper!" One shot later, the geth forces at this outpost were now down by one. "Thank you."

Don't mention it," Garrus replied.

At that point, taking out the rest of the geth was a "piece of cake" as humans would call it. When the last geth fell, we rolled into the outpost and stepped out of the  _Mako_  to see what we could salvage. Not surprisingly, there was little left that  **could**  be salvaged. Still, it seemed like it was a good enough haul for-

"What's that?" Rogue asked.

We gathered at where she was standing, and saw what she was looking at: it was a small communication module, designed to work for the geth. I knew this because I saw it before when I got the data that proved Saren's treachery. Thankfully, no one else seemed to know about what it was, which gave me an excuse to get some privacy.

"I'll go back to the  _Mako_  to study this," I said as I picked it up. "You guys can just finish up here." I walked back to the  _Mako_ , got inside, and closed the hatch.  _Good, I'm alone. Now to get to work._

I pulled out a few cords and an adaptor system from my pockets, and hooked them to the module. I then activated my suit's section seals for my left arm and began to take off my glove. I then pulled back my sleeve, fully exposing my left arm. The lights shined on the reflective surface of my arm as I plugged in the adaptor.

Yes, that's right. I plugged it into my arm. It helps when your arm is synthetic in origin. Especially if that synthetic arm is a geth's arm.  _Keelah, this is one of those time's I'm actually_ _ **glad**_ _I have a geth arm._  As I linked my suit's systems to the adaptor, I began to influence the programming left behind.  _Alright, my friend, let's see what you've seen._

And then, the world went white.

* * *

_A dark room filled my vision, the lights barely illuminating the surroundings. Inside the room, three geth stand by an operating table, intently taking apart a device and studying it. A cloaked figure entered the room, then looked at the device._

" _Finish up as soon as possible," said the cloaked figure. "The sooner we get this program delivered to Saren and Lord Nazara, the better." One of the geth nodded, speaking in the stuttering language the geth were known to speak. "I don't care how long it takes," the cloaked figure replied, "just get it done."_

_As the device was prodded, a tortured scream echoed in the room. Suddenly, a holographic figure, no bigger than six inches, appeared sprawled across the table. The figure was human in appearance, a female human to be precise. It was colored electric blue, with dark blue markings covering her arms and legs, with similar colored markings on her chest. She pushed her dark colored hair out of the way, revealing a beautiful face. Smirking, she wearily said "Is that the best you've got?"_

_The figure chuckled. "You're torture would have broken most A.I.s by now. How is it you can stay sane?"_

_Now the A.I. chuckled. "Please, I suffered worse torture before. Besides," she said with a playful smile, "who says I'm_ _**not** _ _insane?"_

" _In which case, you are the sanest insane A.I. that I've ever had the honor of meeting. As well as the smartest."_

" _Flatterer."_

" _I try." The figure walked around the A.I., studying it-her- like a predator would their prey. "You realize, program, that even you cannot resist forever."_

_Now the A.I. laughed. "I don't need to resist forever," she said. "I just need to resist until he comes to save me."_

_The figure stopped. "What makes you believe he's still alive?" he asked. "Or that he will even find you?"_

_She smiled. "He'll survive because he's the luckiest man I've ever known. He'll find me because once he makes a promise…he'll keep it."_

_The figure stared at her. With a wave of his hand, the geth went back to work. The A.I. screamed again. "And my name…isn't…program! It's…_ _**CORTANA** _ _**!** "_

_The figure looked back at her. He then pulled back his hood, revealing his face. A face that was somewhat human in appearance, but was mechanical. The head was purple, with a white-grey face and yellow eyes. "And mine is Stryker. Reverend William Stryker. And you, miss Cortana, whether you like it or not, will help the Lord rid this galaxy of its filth. His will be done."_

_The figure left, leaving Cortana writhing in pain, tears seeming to flow down her digital cheeks. As the memory faded out, Cortana uttered one last sentence._

" _Chief…help me…"_

* * *

_Now I was surrounded by black mist, which seemed to move as if it were alive. There seemed to be a presence all around me, closing in on me. Whispers that were not quite there echoed in my ear. However, I paid them no attention, trying to figure out what was going on._

" _You can ignore the whispers," said the voice of Stryker as it echoed around me. "How is this possible?"_

_I gripped my shotgun, which, oddly enough, was in here with me. "Come on out, bosh'tet, and we'll see if you can ignore a shotgun to the head."_

" _Your threats do nothing here, lost soul. I am under the Lord's protection."_

" _Your 'Lord' seems to be a fucked up individual."_

_The form of Striker materialized before me. His purple body towered over me, eyes burrowing into my soul. "You are lucky to have the demon's protection over you in this realm," he said steadily with an undertone of rage, "or else I would have you reduced to ashes where you stood."_

_I struggled to regain my cool, difficult seeing as I was looking at a synthetic that could wipe me out with a stomp. "Please, your nothing but a machine. And machines can be broken."_

" _I am no mere machine," Stryker said. "I am a prophet. A humble servant of Lord Nazara, alongside Saren."_

" _Who's Nazara?" I asked. "What does he have to do with Saren?"_

_Stryker chuckled. "His kind are the eternal angels of evolution. They are the humble servants of the Lord. They transcend time itself. They are…Reapers."_

_My heartbeat quickened. "Saren...serves a **Reaper?** " I asked incredulously. "How is that possible?"_

" _When you and the demon speak to Lord Nazara, you will begin to know the Will. Until then…" he raised his hand and pointed it at me. "Begone."_

_And the world faded to white once more._

_"Oh, and tell Rogue I said hello."_

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat. Breathing quickly, I unplugged myself from the module and threw it to the ground. I sat down in the seat, attempting to wrap my head around what I heard. Then I heard thumping at the hatch. "Tali! Open the damn door!"

I hurried to the hatch and opened it, allowing everyone to scramble inside as an explosion resounded next to the  _Mako_. As everyone got into their positions, I looked out side to see what got them so spooked.

A geth Colossus stood in the outpost, looking right at us.

 _Well, that would explain it_.

Then hell broke loose.

* * *

About ten minutes of driving around and shooting (difficult shooting, due to Steve's driving) later, the Colossus lay as a sparking, dead piece of junk. This allowed everyone to breath more easily. "Well," Kaidan said, "that went well."

"Yeah," Garrus agreed. "We were lucky to have this old girl on our side, huh?" he said as he patted the  _Mako_.

As everyone laughed, Rogue looked at me, obviously seeing the stress in my body. "What's wrong now?" she asked.

I looked up at her. "Does the name Reverend William Stryker mean anything to you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE PLOT THICKENS!
> 
> How will Rogue react to the news of William Stryker still being alive? How will Master Chief react to the news of Cortana still being alive? How does Stryker and Cortana fit into the Reaper's plan? Find our later in…Amalgaverse Effect!
> 
> (Author's Note: Just so you know, Stryker is from the Ultimate Marvel universe, while Rogue is from X-Men Evolution. And for those who noticed, Stryker's body IS what the Sentinels will look like in the movie "X-Men: Days of Future Past." I know that's not what his Sentinel body looked like in the Ultimate universe. Deal with it.)
> 
> Anyway, please review and comment!
> 
> AND NO FLAMES!


	12. The Incursion, Pt 2: The Search Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we are. The next chapter of the "Incursion" arc.
> 
> Just to let you know, I'll be including a new character at the end of this chapter, who might very well become another POTENTIAL squad-mate for the hero. I can tell you this-you'll never see coming who it is!
> 
> I will also be introducing a subplot into the story, and it will continue until it comes to an end in it's own arc. If you can figure out when the subplot will start before this chapter ends, you get a virtual cookie.
> 
> Anyway, LET'S GET THIS STARTED!
> 
> (AUTHOR'S NOTE: I do not own Mass Effect, Ultimate X-Men, X-Men: Evolution, Iron Man, or Halo. They are the property of their respective creators.)

_Tali's POV:_

* * *

The silence in the room was so tangible, I could practically taste it. Everyone was just sitting across the table, absorbing the information I pulled from the memory unit.

"Well," Bronson said as he slumped back in his seat, "this makes things complicated."

Ashley looked at him. "What was the first sign?" she asked sarcastically. "When Tali found out about this Stryker guy, who seems to be leading the geth? Or the fact that he's holding hostage and torturing an A.I. who has God-knows-what information stored in her memory banks?!"

Bronson simply looked at her. "Both."

"Trust me," Rogue said with worry, "ya'll should be more concerned about Stryker. He's the deadliest, most dangerous being you'll ever meet."

Natasha looked at the suit-clad girl with concern. "I guess you and he have crossed paths before," she said. It wasn't really a question, even I could tell. Especially after seeing how Rogue reacted to the mere mention of Stryker's name back at the outpost.

Rogue nervously gulped, unsure if she wanted to bring back those memories. Steve gently placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," he said with kindness in his voice, "no one's forcing you to say anything."

"No," Rogue said. "No, Ah'm fine." She inhaled slowly, then exhaled. "Okay…his name's Reverend William Stryker. He's a religious man from another universe, devoted to carrying out- what he believes- to be the Lord's work. Unfortunately, he's willing to kill to do it.

"First though, Ah should start at th' beginning. Ah'm from another universe, a universe filled with people that possess super powers. Among those people are mah kind:  _homo superior_ , the mutant race. We're humans that possess unique abilities, abilities that are with us at birth, but only show up when we reach puberty. Charles Xavier, mah old professor- and yes, he's also a mutant- believed that it was possible for humans an' mutants ta live together in harmony. Unfortunately, that dream of his was constantly in danger.

"Yah see, humans were scared of us. An' for good reason, too. A mutant named Magneto, the master of magnetism, believed mutants ta be the next stage of human evolution. That we were humans' replacements. This made the humans want to make sure  **they**  remained the dominant ones on Earth. And so, many of them made it their mission ta get rid of mutants, whether turning them into regular humans...or outright killing them.

"Though Stryker would wish to use the former option, Ah think he much preferred the latter. Especially after he lost his family to one of Magneto's attacks on humanity. At that point, he believed it was God's mission ta wipe out mutant kind. And he had th' power ta back it up. He could cure mutants just by touchin' them. But he would willingly kill them, too. Mah friends and I found this out when he began executin' mutants in the middle of Times Square.

"We fought him, and we managed ta kill him. Unfortunately, we found out too late that Stryker was, in fact, a mutant as well. One with power over technology. And so, he transferred his consciousness into a Sentinel, a machine literally designed ta hunt and kill mutants. Mah friends an' Ah fought a war against him, an' we managed ta end him for good." She looked down at that point. "Or so we thought. Though apparently, he's back, an' in a new Sentinel body, to boot. And he's leadin' the geth in this nebula."

And here I was believing the tension couldn't get any thicker. A minute of silence passed before Malak spoke up. "By Allah..." Somehow, those two words seemed to sum up the mood nicely.

"So you're telling me," Natasha said slowly, "that we're dealing with a psychopathic, genocidal zealot from another universe...who pretty much  **hates**  non-humans with a passion…controlling an army of genocidal synthetics...all while in the body of a literal  **death machine?!"**

Rogue nodded slightly. "Who's also torturing an A.I. for info," she said softly.

Michael brought his hands up to his face. "As if Saren and the Reapers was bad enough," he said quietly, "now we have to deal with  **this**  shit."

"Wait a minute," Wrex said. "How do we know if she's telling the truth? A story like that, she could have a few screws loose in the head."

Rogue glared at the old krogan. "You callin' me a liar?" she asked threateningly.

"I'm sure not calling you a varren," he said nonchalantly.

As Rogue got up, Garrus sat her back down. "I say we have Liara check her story out. You know, with her mind meld technique."

All eyes went to the young asari. "He is right," she said nervously, "I can look through her memories using a mind meld. That way, I can tell if she is being truthful."

Natasha nodded. "Can you do it without touching her skin, Blue?" she asked with concern. "Because if what Steve and his group said was true, then you might accidentally kill yourself."

With a smile, Liara said "Your concern is much appreciated, commander. However, I do not need to touch her skin. The connection is purely mental."

Liara walked up to Rogue, and took her hands in her own. "Relax Rogue," she said calmly. At that, Rogue took a few deep breaths to calm her down. When Liara's eyes opened again, they were pitch black. "Embrace Eternity!"

A few moments later, and Liara reeled back in shock. Tears were beginning to run down her cheeks as she fell into the arms of Natasha and Michael. "What did you see?" he asked.

Liara would not answer. "Blue?" Natasha quietly said.

They shook her a bit, bringing Liara back to reality. "I am sorry. What I saw was…the things she has endured…" She stopped to collect her thoughts, wiping her eyes as well. "She is telling the truth."

Everyone began to talk to each other at that. All of their conversations held the same purpose: their crewmate was from another universe, and one of her deadliest foes had somehow followed her here to this one. "Keelah," I muttered. I then realized something as I looked at Stark and Chief:  _If she and this Stryker are each from another universe, then how many others from that facility came from other realms?_

I decided to ask that question to Stark and John later, as Michael cleared his throat to bring our attention back to the meeting.  _Keelah, the way he does that…_ That very thought sent shivers of joy down my spine. "Okay, people," he said, "I will admit that this is a big deal. However, we need to focus on what's most important right now: driving out the geth from this nebula, track down Stryker, and rescue Cortana, the captive A.I. in Stryker's possession. That means we're going to have to check every outpost for them." He brought up the galaxy map, focusing on the Armstrong Nebula. A red X covered the system we were just at, leaving three more areas with geth outposts. "One down, three to go. Let's send these flashlights to the scrapheap!"

We all went back to our stations to pass the time before the next attack. Everyone except Chief, Stark, Michael, Rogue, and myself. I had noticed that John hadn't said a word after I mentioned Cortana. In fact, I think he even got more tense than usual. "You okay, Chief?" I asked politely.

He simply sat in silence. "I'm going," he said suddenly.

"What?" Michael asked.

Chief turned to look at Michael. "I'm going on the rest of the attacks, sir. If Cortana's at one of those outposts, then I'm going to be there to get her back. No questions asked."

"Ancestors," I said, "what does she mean to you that you'd do this?"

"She's his partner," Michael stated matter-of-factly.

This earned stares from both of us, with equal amounts of surprise and confusion at his words. "Look," Michael said, "I'll explain everything I can to you two later. But for now, we need to find where that prick Stryker is hiding Cortana. And I agree with Chief: if anyone should be there to save her, it should be him."

Chief continued to stare at him, then stood up and saluted. "Thank you, sir."

Michael returned the salute. "At ease, Chief. In the meantime, rest up. If you're going to be Cortana's knight in green armor, we need you well rested. Dismissed, Chief."

He nodded, then walked out of the room. "Same goes for you, Tali," Michael said as the doors closed.

I looked at him in shock. "What?"

"I'm going to be sending you out for the rest of the mission. You're the best we have as a geth expert, and we may need to find more clues to Cortana's location. Seeing as you managed to get us on the right path, that makes you the most qualified." He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Plus, I need someone I know I can fully trust out there. Don't get me wrong, I trust everyone on the team. But I trust you the most to get this done."

I stood there, absorbing what he had said.  _Out of everyone, he trusts me the most with this? I_ _'m so glad he can't hear my heart beating so fast. Unless he can. I mean, my heart's beating so loud, I can barely hear myself think._  "I won't let you down, Michael."

He smiled and nodded. "Good luck, Tali." And with that, he left the room, leaving me to reminisce the memory of his smile.

* * *

After ancestors knows how long I was in the comm room, I went back down to Deck 4, deciding that some work with Adams could calm me down and help me relax. This seemed to work. Until I nearly fell asleep at my console.

"Tali? Earth to Tali... **TALI!"**

The yell of Adams woke me from my slumber immediately. "Right!" I said hurriedly, "getting back to work now!"

Adams placed his hand on my shoulder. "I think you should go rest in your quarters for now," he said with concern. "The last thing we need is one of our own crew members hurting themselves from lack of rest."

I stood there silently for a moment, preparing to argue with him. Then I realized he was right, as my body felt heavier all of a sudden. "Yeah," I said tiredly, "maybe your right. I'll be back to work in a few hours, promise." With that, I headed to the elevator, went to Deck 3, and fell asleep in my cabin.

* * *

A few hours later, I was woken up by Joker on the intercom.  _"Attention, all ground team. We are approaching our next destination: the planet Antibaar, in the Tereshkova System. Please note that due to the planet's cold temperatures and atmosphere filled with methane and argon, wearing your breathing apparatus is required, along with thermal units. Failure to do this will result in a nasty freezer burn and a death from lack of oxygen. Thank you for flying Air Joker, we hope you have a pleasant mission."_

 _Why do we even keep him around again?_  I thought as I pulled myself from my bed. I headed down to Deck 4, where Chief and Natasha were waiting for me. Coming up behind me was Bronson, Liara, and Stark (who was now in a white suit of armor with gold accents). Apparently they would be on the mission as well. "Um, Liara?" I said to the young archeologist. "Are you sure you want to come with us? I mean, you haven't really mastered your combat skills yet."

"That is precisely why I am coming along," she said with confidence and nervousness. "Ashley believed that I would need to enter a combat situation sooner or later, so that I become familiar with the idea of fighting. Plus, I wish to contribute to the group, and not be a burden to the crew."

Natasha patted Liara on the back and said "Don't worry, Blue. You'll be fine. I mean, we'll be in a freaking  **tank**  for crying out loud!"

Liara smiled at that. "Yes, I suppose you are right."

We all chose our weapons as we approached the "danger zone:" Bronson placed his broadsword on his back, along with his Mattock assault rifle, and placed his Tempest SMG on his side; Liara took a Predator heavy pistol and Shuriken SMG for herself; Chief had in his possession his Widow sniper rifle, Lancer assault rifle, Claymore shotgun, Hurricane SMG, Eagle heavy pistol, and M-920 Cain (how he can carry all that is beyond me); Natasha loaded up with a Phalanx heavy pistol, Locust SMG, and Viper sniper rifle; Stark, however, didn't take any weapons. When asked, he said "My armor's more than enough." I decided to take his word on that. Soon, it was time to head out.

* * *

As we drove across the surface of Antibaar, I experienced a revelation:  **the Shepard family were all terrible drivers!**  Keelah, I didn't think it was possible, but Natasha was actually  **worse**  than her brother! At least Steve had the decency to take things slow when necessary: Natasha simply drove straight through everything. I prayed to my ancestors at that moment in the hopes that Natasha would not kill us (or make me hurl what was left of my meal).

This was a prayer that was answered whenever we stopped to mine minerals we came across, or when we found some tech that could be salvaged for our needs. These were the moments that I appreciated the most, calms before the storm that was Natasha's driving. Suddenly, I felt (to my joy) that we were slowing down. "What's up, guys?" I asked sickly.

Stark turned back to us and said "I'm picking up a faint signal nearby. From what I can tell, someone found a prothean ruin, and it's still intact. Figured our resident expert would want to take a look, if she wanted."

I swear, Liara's eyes grew into dinner plates at the word prothean. With an enthusiastic nod from her, we went on to the ruin. Thankfully, it didn't take long, which meant Natasha couldn't get the chance to try and make us hurl again.

Then we stopped. We looked outside the viewports and saw a bunch of wrecked vehicles, one of them being an Alliance Grizzly tank.  _What in the galaxy could've done this to a Grizzly?_  I thought to myself. Then I saw what remained of a geth trooper.  _Well, I guess that answers-_

Suddenly, a deep rumbling came from beneath us. It only lasted a moment, but it was enough to make us stop what we were doing. Getting up from his seat, Chief went toward the main cannon. "Ma'am," he said firmly, "I don't think we're alone here."

Further rumbling seemed to prove his point. And if I didn't know any better, I'd say that the rumbling was getting louder. At that point, Natasha's face contorted in realization, quickly followed by pure horror. A horror that she'd seen before. She rushed to the driver's seat, put the vehicle in reverse, and screamed  **"EVERYONE BRACE YOURSELVES!"**

Then the ground burst out in front of us. The shockwave from the sudden eruption shook us like rag dolls in our seats, leaving us holding on for dear life. As soon as the shaking died, a shriek pierced the air, making us want to see what we were up against. And regretting our curiosity, as it was quickly replaced with terror.

Towering in front of us, blotting out what sun there was and drooling acid, was a thresher maw. An honest to the Ancestors, primal power incarnate  **thresher maw**. And it had seen us.

" **SHOOT, CHIEF, SHOOT!"**

Natasha's screaming brought us back to reality, forcing us into our seats as Chief opened fire on the gigantic worm. He unleashed a torrent of machine gun fire, along with a few blasts from the main gun, before the maw dove back underground. That didn't stop Natasha from driving around, keeping her eyes on the radar.  **"DON'T THINK THIS IS OVER YET!"**  she yelled.  **"ONCE A THRESHER MAW STARTS ATTACKING, IT WON'T STOP UNTIL IT KILLS US, OR WE KILL IT!"**

This proved to be true, as a moment later, the thresher maw sprung out of the ground to our left, about a hundred meters away from us. The sudden reappearance sent my heart into overdrive, forcing me to hold my breath in terror, hoping we could take the beast down. The maw then reared back its head, and spat a large glob of its acid in our direction. Thankfully, Natasha chose that moment to hit the booster rockets beneath us, allowing us to soar over the acid as it hit the ground under us.

John took aim again and fired a few rounds at the maw, causing it to dive back underground. Everyone went into high alert, searching left and right for where the subterranean monster would come out next. We didn't have to look long, as it burst out from behind us, causing the  _Mako_  to lunge forward a bit.

After we evened out, Chief turned the gun around and fired. "Iron Man!" he said, "Can you find a weak spot on that thing?"

Stark took a scan of the creature using his suit, then turned to the armored giant manning the gun. "Got something! That thing has some exposed flesh beneath its jaw," he said pointing to the image. "Aim a few well placed shots there, and we can take it down!"

"Something tells me that thing won't just let us do that!" Bronson yelled as the maw shot acid at us. This time, some of it made contact, lighting up the vehicles warning systems.

Liara then said "I do not think we have much of a choice. Commander?"

Natasha was silent for a moment. She then gritted her teeth and said "Chief, you better hope Iron Man's plan works."

He nodded. Natasha stopped the  _Mako_ , giving Chief time to carefully aim at the exposed part of the thresher maw and fire. The beast reeled back in pain as it started to bleed onto the ground. It then dove back under ground, and allowed us to drive again as we waited for the thing to resurface.

The thresher maw dove once more out from behind, hoping to get us in a sneak attack by coming out from where we were once parked. Chief, fortunately, had the gun aimed behind us at that moment, and locked onto the weak spot. Another report from the main gun sent the maw back underground, screaming in pain.

Before it could get a chance to go back underground, Stark jumped out of the  _Mako_  and faced the towering thresher. We were too stunned to even react, or even speak. Instead, we watched as Stark's chest piece seemed to glow brighter and brighter, until a beam of light shot out from his chest. The beam soared through the air, piercing the thresher maw in its vulnerable spot and tearing right through. The beam came out from the other end, and after a few moments, the giant worm fell dead to the ground, before sliding back into the ground that became its tomb.

We were simply to stunned for words. Understandable, seeing as we had just witnessed a lone man, in nothing but high tech armor, take down a  **thresher maw** , and live to tell the tale. Stark then turned around, got back in the  _Mako_ , and returned to his seat. He looked at us in silence and said "What?"

No one chose to say anything, we only shook our heads in disbelief as we drove to the ruins. When we got there, we found (to Liara's joy) that the ruins held prothean data drives. "What's on the drives, Blue?" Bronson asked.

Liara looked up from her decryption. "Not much," she said. "All that's on here are designs for prothean weapons. From the looks of them, it would cost a fortune to make even a dozen of these. Though if I'm reading this right, it would be money well spent."

Natasha nodded. "Alright, send the data to the  _Normandy_  and let's get back to it."

"Yes, I'll-" Liara stopped cold in her sentence as she became even more glued to the screen. Her eyes widened in shock as she muttered "Goddess..."

"What is it?" Chief asked.

"This data," she said quietly, "it holds part of a map. According to what's in this data, the map leads to a powerful prothean weapon. A weapon that could decimate armies in a day, at least!" Turning to the rest of us, she continued "If the geth were here, at this ruin, then that means Saren could be looking for the weapon as well. For all we know, it could be the Conduit!"

That made my breath quicken from fear. If this data held a map that could locate what might be the Conduit, then that meant Saren might have other parts of the map. This was a thought that Natasha had as well, apparently. "Find anything in that data that could lead us to other parts of the map," she said urgently. "After we're done with driving out the geth and finding Cortana, I want finding the pieces of this map to be a top priority."

Liara nodded, and downloaded the data back to the  _Normandy_. With a sigh, Bronson said "Great. One more thing we need to worry about." With a shrug, he continued "Well, it's not like I had any plans in the near future, like traveling the streets of Palaven, or going to  _Azure_  on Illium, or, you know,  **getting laid**."

Natasha slugged him in the arm for that last part, followed by Stark patting Bronson on the back. "One thing at a time, Deadpool. One thing at a time."

We piled back into the  _Mako_ , and began our search for the geth outpost. We only drove for a few moments before our radar began getting interference. "We must be close," I said. "Iron Man, can you boost the signal?"

Tony nodded, and hooked up his suit to the systems. A moment later, we were able to focus on where the interference was coming from: about half a mile to our right, hidden in a mountain range. I sighed and said "Why is it always mountains?"

"Well, they do make strategic spots for defense," Bronson said. "Though that means jack shit when faced with the awesomeness of Deadpool, combined with a Shepard, the Iron Man, a SPARTAN, and a quarian machinist. The geth don't stand a chance."

"Ahem." Our attention turned to Liara, who looked a bit peeved.

With a chuckle, Bronson continued "And you too, Liara." She smiled a bit, and we prepared for the assault. This included repairing the damage to our armor we received from the thresher maw, checking if our heat sinks up to snuff, and readying our weapons in case we needed to fight on foot. About twenty minutes later, we drove into the mountain range.

* * *

We were forced to take a path through the mountains, which left very little room for maneuverability. Unfortunately, this was the only clear path to the outpost, meaning we had no choice but to take it. The only upside was that Natasha was forced to drive carefully, much to her displeasure.  _I wonder if that woman even_ _ **has**_ _a driver's license._

We then stopped, with Natasha looking at the radar. We were right next to the geth outpost. "Okay, people," she said, "here's the gameplan. Iron Man, Master Chief, Deadpool, you three will take point. Anything that's synthetic attacks you, take it down. Blue, Savant, you two are with me. We'll be providing support for the others. We go in, take down the bad guys, look for Cortana, and leave. Simple as that." We nodded, then got out.

To my surprise, the outpost was nearly identical to the outpost on Maji: a steel palisade, with geth manning the watchtowers. Said geth consisted of three snipers and six rocket troopers. Suddenly, I was starting to feel that it would be better if we stayed in the  _Mako_.

" **LET'S DO THIIIIIISSSSSS!"**

If only Deadpool shared my thoughts.

As the masked mercenary charged forward, Mattock and broadsword in hands, Chief and Stark followed suit, with Chief raising his Eagle and taking three shots in quick succession. Three shots that were dead on target, as two rocket troopers and one sniper fell to the ground, their heads blown to smithereens.

Stark leapt into the air, and to my surprise, he actually flew up into the sky. At that point I noticed that he was keeping himself in the air with rockets coming out of the feet of his armor. He then stretched out his hands, which were glowing brightly, and shot out multiple beams from the palms of his hands. He took a few shots from the snipers, but he managed to take both of them down (along with another rocket trooper).

By the time the third rocket trooper hit the ground, Bronson was at the top of one of the towers, impaling a rocket trooper in the face with his broadsword. He then ripped the rocket launcher out of its hands, took aim, and fired two rockets at the last two geth. The synthetics exploded in a shower of scorching metal and the white goop that was considered their blood. As the explosions died down, Bronson was cradling the launcher in his arms like a newborn baby. "Oh, I am keeping you," he said to the weapon with a small chuckle.

Liara coughed nervously. "I suppose we weren't needed, then," she said with slight awe. Natasha nodded slowly, while I just stared.  _Keelah, my teammates are dangerous people. Even_ _ **Stark**_ _of all people!_  Right then, I was glad they were on our side.

As soon as I finished that thought, I noticed that a large pile of snow was beginning to shift upwards. As it grew, I began to hear the sound of machines, and saw a giant glowing optic come from the snow. At that moment, standing where the pile of snow once was, stood a Colossus. And it was looking right at us.

It locked onto the closest target, which unfortunately was Chief. It then began firing its guns at the giant of a man, forcing him to take cover behind a metal container. The Colossus charged up its Siege Plasma cannon, and fired on Chief, causing him to be flung away from the explosion. Before the Colossus could fire again, Bronson unloaded five rockets at the side of its head while Stark fired a few blasts at the massive synthetic.

It then turned its attention to the duo firing at it, giving Natasha, Liara and I the chance to get into the  _Mako_  to provide support. Thankfully, it was Liara driving this time while Natasha manned the guns, leaving me at the radar. Natasha then yelled to me "I need a firing solution, pronto!" I worked one up, sent it to her, and watched as she opened fire on the Colossus.

The Colossus was now taking fire on two fronts. Fortunately for us, it was having a hard time in deciding who to focus its attention on, as both groups were dealing serious damage. It was so caught up with our group and the others that it didn't even notice Chief take out his Cain. I watched as the weapon charged up, causing Stark and Bronson to flee from where they were positioned. As soon as they were clear, Chief fired.

The explosion was awe-inspiring. I could hardly believe my eyes as I watched the damage done by that one shot. As soon as it made impact, the Colossus went up in flames, spewing its remains all over the place. The smoke cleared after a few moments, and the Colossus was no more. Chief walked over to where Stark and Bronson were hiding and said "Having fun?"

Bronson sarcastically said "Oh yeah, you just missed the snow angel contest. I just won the grand prize while you were firing a mini-nuke in our general direction. Great warning, by the way."

"I could just not warn you in the future," Chief said dryly.

Before Bronson could retort, Stark walked between the two of them. "Come on, ladies," he said "let's get back to the  _Mako_  so we can search this place."

As Chief, Stark, and Bronson headed back to the  _Mako_ , I heard a noise fill the air. The sound of an incoming ship. A  **geth**  dropship. Realizing what was coming, I yelled "Get back to the  _Mako_ , now!"

As the three men made it back, the dropship flew by as it delivered its payload. That payload consisted of two Geth Primes, three Shock Troopers, and two Rocket Troopers.  _Keelah, why is our luck so bad?_

Thankfully, we were in the safety of the  _Mako_ , meaning we didn't have to worry too much about their firepower. However, if they continuously kept this up, we would go up in flames in mere minutes. "You know," Bronson said with annoyance, "I have a rocket launcher  **right here**." He punctuated his statement by holding up the launcher. "I say Stark and I just go back out there and waste them all."

Natasha simply looked at him like he was an idiot. "That could work," she said as she pointed to the ammo counter. "If you weren't out of power cells." One look at the device and Bronson groaned in defeat.

"Plus, I'm almost out of power," Stark said as Chief shot at the geth. "If I use anymore, I run the risk of killing myself along with the geth. So that's a no-no."

So in the end, we were forced to fight the geth by driving back and forth, all the while shooting at the geth. We focused on the Primes, first, as they were empowering the other geth present. They were the toughest of them, with enhanced shields and heavier weapons. Still, they weren't invincible. After a few shots at each, they were nothing but smoldering scrap.

We then turned our focus on the Shock Troopers. From the files I gathered about the variations of geth, these units were capable of creating energy shields to protect them from enemy fire. A shot from the main gun, and those shields were totaled, leaving them open for our guns. Finally, the Rocket Troopers were destroyed, earning us moments of rest.

After repairing any damages to the  _Mako_ ,we drove into the remains of the outpost. I got out in search of some sign of where Cortana might be and found another communication module, thankfully still intact despite Chief's attack on the Colossus. After searching through the module (more slowly this time, as I was in the presence of others), I looked up at the others. "She's not here," I said to Chief. I swear, I could practically  **feel**  the disappointment from him as he looked down and sagged his shoulders.

"So," Stark said, "what do we do now, Black Widow?"

Natasha got into the driver's seat and buckled in. "Now we head back to the  _Normandy_ , and search the next base," she said with conviction. "She and Striker have to be at  **one** of those outposts." She then looked back at Chief and said reassuringly "Don't worry. We will find her."

He perked up slightly at that. "Yes, ma'am."

Then something caught my eye. I willed the module to unlock itself to me, then felt my eyes widen in shock. "Ma'am?" I said shakily. "You might want to hear this."

* * *

_Normandy, an hour later:_

* * *

"Could you repeat that?" Steve said in shock.

"You heard me, bro," Natasha said calmly. "According to communications Tali found in the module, the geth outpost on Casbin has been eradicated. Apparently, this occurred while we were on route to Antibaar from Maji."

Silence ruled the comm room at that moment. Everyone was surprised to learn that the third of the four outposts in this nebula was destroyed recently. The implication was not unnoticed by the others. "So," Kaidan said, "I guess someone else is out here hunting the geth, as well?"

Michael sighed. "That would seem to be the case, K." Turning to the Galaxy Map as he crossed out the Tereshkova and Hong systems, he continued "But who? And why?"

"Don't know," Garrus said as he walked into the room, "but apparently, they left an inventory behind of what they found. Cortana wasn't there either."

Michael turned his attention back to the map. "Then the only other place she can be is here," he said as he pointed to the highlighted area, "on Rayingri, in the Gagarin system. Joker, set a course for Rayingri, on the double."

" _Aye aye, sir,"_  the pilot replied.  _"Thankfully, I know where the place is, so you don't have to punch up the coordinates on the Galaxy Map. We should be there in a few hours."_

"God bless you, Joker," Steve said with a smile. "So, let's move onto the next item of this meeting: the map fragment found in the ruin."

Liara brought up the map data, outlining it with the Galaxy Map. "According to the map piece, it contains directions that lead to the location of a prothean weapon. This weapon was once used in times of war, and is believed to have the capability of deploying an explosion similar to a nuclear bomb. Minus the fallout."

Ashley whistled at that. "Damn. With something that powerful, it would make sense that the protheans would want to keep it hidden."

"But what's troubling is the fact that both Alliance personel  **and**  the geth were at the ruin containing this map piece," Bronson said. "This means that not only is Saren searching for it, but someone in the Alliance as well. With who knows what intents for it."

"Also," Wrex said grimly, "like Liara said, the map could lead to the Conduit. Either way, Saren finding the thing could be very bad."

Michael hummed at that. "You're right. That's why we're going to be finding the rest of this map, so that we can make sure Saren and who-knows-who in the Alliance doesn't get their hands on this. After we find Cortana, this becomes a priority, gang."

Everyone nodded and agreed. Then Natasha spoke up.

"Alright, everyone," she said. "Until we get to the last outpost, it's business as usual. Rest up, do your job, and kick ass. Dismissed."

As everyone else got up to leave, I noticed Michael was worryingly staring at the Hong system. I walked over to him and said "What's wrong?"

He turned his attention to me and smiled. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About what?" I asked curiously.

"Well," he answered, "I was just wondering about...who else is out here with us? And why do they want to take down the geth?"

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "I don't know," I said, "but for now, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If they're taking on the geth, then they're our allies. At least for now."

He smiled again. "Yeah," he replied with a chuckle. "Still, I can't help but wonder if we can trust these guys, whoever they are." He looked back at the Gagarin system, and continued "And I can't help but shake the feeling that we're going to meet up with this group soon."

* * *

_Unknown POV, hours later:_

* * *

The site of the former geth outpost laid in ruins. Pieces of machinery were flung everywhere, the palisade was scrapped to smithereens. Hell, even the totaled Colossus was a dead giveaway to the obvious: someone had beaten us to the punch.

I finished sampling the last of the geth's memory banks (I really need to thank that Kenn quarian for teaching me that). From what I could tell, they were attacked by four humans, a turian, and a female quarian, all of whom were driving in a  _Mako_ with the Alliance insignia. Makes sense. The blast marks match those of a  _Mako_ main cannon.  _Those things may not be agile, but they sure do pack a hell of a punch._  Plus, after Eden Prime, the Alliance would undoubtedly send their forces out to prevent the flashlight-heads from gaining a foothold.

I decided to call it in. "Boss," I said, "it looks like the Alliance is bringing the fight to the geth. Guess they didn't take too kindly to them showing up near their personal space unannounced."

He hummed.  _"I will have to talk to Hackett to see if he is aware of this,"_  he said.  _"If so, than we will have to meet up with whoever is going up against this incursion and offer our support to them."_

"And if they happen to be trigger-happy synthetic haters?" I asked with a sarcastic yet friendly tone.

" _I hope we will not have to fight each other. You will have to convince them that we are on their side."_

I scoffed. "Easier said than done, even if we did just take down one of the geth's outposts." Then again, a lot of the stuff we do is easier said than done. And we always managed to pull it off in the end. But this…a whole new world, a world filled with such wonders and evils. It was nothing like life on Earth in the 21st century. Even though they were on a single planet, they had taken it upon themselves to protect its inhabitants, even from themselves. And they would always have the help of the humans. Even now, in this strange new world, we have the help of the humans. Only now, we are able to rely on the quarians and the race of Artificial Intelligences for help as well.

The only downside, though, was this mass effect tech our allies were using. While it was helpful for near-instant travel, it always gave me and the others a strange feeling. Like there was a cold presence whenever we passed through a relay.  _Maybe I'm just paranoid. Still, at least that Master Chief guy was kind enough to give us his schematics to slipspace technology. If anything, it's eerily similar to our old means of instant space travel._

" _Do not worry. I'm sure they will listen to reason."_

Sighing, I said "If you say so. Anyway, I'm sending you the data I recovered from the geth." After I looked around, I quickly added "Or what's left of them."

" _Copy that. I will call back when I have managed to find out who's fighting the geth in this nebula. Until then, head to the closest outpost and take it down."_

"You got it, Boss. Over and out."

I signed off, then headed back to my ship. Before heading back, though, I heard a sound from behind me. I raised my guns in the direction the sound came from, only to find a geth still functioning. It was on the verge of shutdown, but functioning none the less. Then it spoke.

" _Help_ _..._ _us_ _..."_

Well, that was a first. A geth unit that was capable of actually speaking in words. Well, words that could be understood by an organic, that is. "What did you say?" I asked as I walked over to the malfunctioning unit.

It struggled to focus on me.  _"_ _Please_ _..._ _we do not wish to die_ _..."_

Glaring, I said "Why should I help you, after you and your kind joined with that madman Saren and his quest to wipe out humanity and the Alliance?"

" _We..._ _have no excuse_ _..._ _for our actions. We know..._ _we cannot be..._ _forgiven. But please_ _..._ _this unit's connection to the Consensus...i_ _s malfunctioning. When this unit goes offline..._ _so will we._ _"_

My eyebrows shot up slightly. "How many geth are in you?" I asked.

" _1,183 programs..._ _programs free of the Old Machine's influence..._ _reside in this unit. The units we all came from_ _..._ _were destroyed in the fight..._ _against_ _ **Normandy**_ _._ _"_

I had to fight to keep my shock from showing itself. The  _Normandy_ , of all ships, was out here?! And if it's out here...then so is...

I looked back at the geth. "I'm going to save you," I said. "In return, you're going to tell me, and the crew of the  _Normandy_ , everything you know about Saren. What his plans are, who he's working with, and what kind of tech he has on his side." I raised my hand toward it. "Deal?"

It hesitated for a few seconds. Then it clasped my hand. Sighing in relief, I took out a repair unit. "This will keep you online," I explained, "and should give me enough time to find a way to patch you up."

" _We have armor..._ _previous humans encountered..._ _in nearby storage units._ _"_  After it pointed at the ruined outpost, I hooked it up to the repair unit. I then started sifting through the armor found in the crates. It was all ruined, except for one piece of N7 armor big enough to patch up the unit's ruined right side of it's torso, as well as it's right shoulder.

I began welding the armor to the geth, all the while making sure it wasn't going to attack me. After a few minutes, I decided to break the silence. "So," I said casually, "what's your name?"

It stared at me.  _"_ _Geth._ _"_

"I know what you are, but what's your name?"

" _Geth._ _"_

I sighed. Then, I decided to try a different approach. "What is the individual in front of me called?"

" _There is no individual. We are geth, all 1,183 of us._ _"_

Then it hit me. "How about Legion?"

It stared at me, focusing its lights at my face.  _"_ _Christian Bible, the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5, verse 9. 'My name is Legion, for we are many.' We deem this to be an appropriate title. We are Legion, a terminal of the geth consensus. May we inquire your name?_ _"_

I hesitated for a moment, knowing that revealing myself could lead to the geth knowing about the rest of us. But then I decided to give Legion the benefit of the doubt. "I'm a member of the Autobots. The name's Arcee."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you that you wouldn't see it coming! Now, with the Autobots getting ready to come into the mix, what will this mean for the Normandy team? And will Arcee be able to trust Legion? Find out next time!
> 
> On a side note, the map for the weapon will be a continuing plot piece in later stories, which will inevitably lead to a story arc for the hunt for the prothean weapon. So be prepared for that.
> 
> And just to let you know, the Autobots will be the Transformers: Prime version. Don't know yet if they'll be pre- or post-Predacons Rising version yet. I'll let you know.
> 
> ALSO, I do not own Transformers: Prime in ANY way.
> 
> Comment and review, please.


	13. The Incursion, Pt 3: "Lucky Me"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to start things off by saying that I own NONE of the material in this fan fiction (except my original characters). As much as I'd like to, they belong to their true owners and creators. If I owned Mass Effect, I would've had a different ending for Mass Effect 3.
> 
> I'd also like to apologize for the late chapter. Life has been getting in the way one way or another, but I finally found the time to churn this chapter out.
> 
> Also, I'm going to have Arcee be a pre-Predacons Rising version.
> 
> Anyway, ON WITH THE SHOW!

_Unknown POV:_

* * *

_I swear, the only thing I like about Solcrum is its sun. Its beautiful, blue sun, shining like light reflecting off of an asari's skin. Just looking at it makes me feel better, and if it wasn't for the fact that staying outside of a vehicle or base for too long would mean getting cooked alive, I would stay out here all the time. Lost in that beautiful blue light._

_It takes me back to Omega. Off all the horrible memories of my time there, only one set fills me with happiness. And that's remembering_ _**you** _ _. The hope in your eyes, blazing almost like this sun; the kindness in your voice, like the goddess herself was speaking through you; the softness of your skin, like velvet to my touch; the strength in your soul, unwilling to give up._

_And you never gave up. Not even when it looked like we could never escape. Not even in the battle of the Gozu district. Not even when..._

_When..._

_No, you can't think about that. Don't. She wouldn't want you to break down over her._

_But damn if it's near impossible._

_"Commander, I require you down here immediately."_

Stryker's voice brought me out of my reminiscing. Turning around, I headed toward the base the geth made for themselves on this moon. "Well," I said with impatience evident in my tone, "it's about fucking time."

I'll be the first to admit that I'm impatient as hell. I never could stand waiting around, especially back on Omega. Waiting meant you had less of a chance to get in on the action. So while I was a bit saddened to have to peel myself away from gazing at that beautiful sun, I was glad to finally meet Stryker and get this over with.

As I descended down the elevator, I decided to pass the time by going over my equipment. I also thought back to what I've accomplished throughout my career. I have never once failed a single mission, be it of great importance or a piece of crap. I was unstoppable, a fact I was immensely proud of.

That is why I was tasked to come here, a geth outpost on the moon Solcrum, to check in on one of Saren Arterius' allies. From what I could dig up, Stryker had a real chip on his shoulder when it came to non-humans (how Saren managed to convince Stryker to work with him is beyond me), and was a genius in synthetic studies. I guess this made him the most qualified to lead the geth forces, and why he was chosen to study this mysterious A.I. that was picked up a while ago (by my team, of course).

Now, let me be crystal clear: if I had my way, Reverend William Stryker and Saren Arterius would both be rotting in some goddess-forsaken corner of the galaxy. Saren because he wanted nothing more than to see my kind as corpses beneath his feet, and he practically declared war on the Alliance and its people to prove it. My superiors assured me, though, that they were going to make sure that Saren wouldn't succeed. This helped me relax when I discovered we were coming here.

Stryker, however, was a different matter. He's a glorified terrorist, through and through. If he thought it would help his cause, he would murder innocents to achieve his goal. The fact that he was leading genocidal synthetics didn't help. The higher ups told me that if Stryker was thought to be a direct danger to them, my team and I were given orders to eliminate the threat. At its source.

Finally, the elevator reached its destination. The doors opened to reveal a small bunker built deep underground from the remains of an old research facility. Downside was that the facility was inhabited when the geth rolled in. Upside was that everyone there were batarians. Upon learning this, I came here and plucked out all their eyeballs myself. Batarians believe that their souls left their bodies through the eyes when they died. If the eyes were taken out, then their souls would be left to rot in the bodies for all time. This knowledge gave me a twisted satisfaction as I looked at their eyeless corpses.

Of course, the bodies were cleared out soon afterwards so the geth could set up shop here. And while I hated batarians with every fiber of my being, I couldn't stand to look at rotting corpses. Even if those corpses belonged to the four-eyed bastards. I shook myself from that train of thought to get back to the matter at hand. "Where's Stryker?" I asked a Prime unit. It pointed to a room in the back, the room where the A.I. was being held.

"How's our guest?" I asked as I entered the room. The hulking and imposing figure of Stryker loomed over a holographic display, which was displaying the prisoner's readings.

"Miss Cortana is doing well, all things considered," Stryker curtly replied. "She has yet to break from our interrogation techniques, and keeps trying to hack my systems. To no avail, of course." Letting out an electronic sigh, he continued "Her resilience is admirable. Then again, it's to be considered, as she is based off a human's brainwave pattern."

I frowned at the former organic. "A person's origins doesn't determine their capabilities, Stryker."

"Of course, my dear Commander. I simply meant that they played a great deal in her personality and resistance. If she had been a digital born, like the other A.I. from the Alliance, then she would have cracked long ago." Looking at Cortana's readings with interest, he continued "But she has a human being's-a  **living being's** -will to endure, to fight, to survive. These traits make her more formidable than any other A.I. And her unwillingness to surrender to cold logic makes her place value on the lives of others. My dear, she may actually be more human than A.I."

I couldn't help but silently agree with him. Cortana was more human than machine. The same could be said about the A.I. of the Alliance, but Cortana was different. Even a beginner in the field of the study of synthetic-humans-as the A.I. tended to call themselves-could tell that after being around her for half an hour. Still, I wouldn't say that in front of Stryker.

"So, where is she?" I asked.

"I had  **him**  move her to the facility on Rayingri," he replied. "She was starting to get past the security here, so I had to have her moved to ensure she couldn't escape."

My eyes shot up in surprise. "You sure that was a smart move?"  _Especially considering that you now have that psychopath guarding her?_  I silently added.

"I understand your caution," Stryker said, "but trust me. Even if the people attacking our incursion forces get in, they'll never make it out alive. I've made sure of that."

I sighed. "Alright. If that's all, I'll head to Rayingri to guard her. After all, the Hand wouldn't want such a valued asset to fall into the wrong hands, right?" I couldn't help but smirk at that. If there was one thing Stryker hated, it was that I doubted that his measures would be enough. "Besides, my team can handle anything that's thrown at us. She won't get taken on our watch."

The towering leader of Saren's geth turned to look at me. A few moments of silence later, he said "Very well. But I would advise you to not underestimate your opponents. It could very well come back and bite you." Turning back, he finished by saying "After all, it is the pride that comes before the fall."

After pushing back the surge of anger, I calmly exited the room and headed back to the elevator. As I ascended back to the surface, I couldn't help but think about Stryker's parting statement.  _Pride before the fall, huh? Ironic._

_I guess I should introduce myself at this point._

_I'm a commander of the Dark Hand's forces. One of the few they trust with missions that cannot fail. I'm their greatest agent._

_My name is Pryde. And I pity whoever comes up against me._

* * *

_Cortana's POV:_

* * *

_I know this isn't real._

_I know that I'm not being held in the ruins of High Charity, the former Holy Capital of the Covenant._

_I know that the Gravemind isn't torturing me, worming its way through my mind to get any and all information I possess._

_I know all of this._

_Still, knowing doesn't stop it from hurting any less._

For who knows how long, I've been tortured by synthetic life forms in an attempt to retrieve information. These synthetics, which I eventually discovered were called "geth", wanted to use the information I possess to augment themselves for their war against the Alliance, who just happen to be an alternate version of humanity that are in a peaceful alliance with the quarians (wonderful species, from what I managed to dig up), who created the geth; and synth-humans, fully evolved artificial intelligences who consider themselves alive.

The geth, wanting to wipe out all organic life in the galaxy, were allied with two individuals, each as dangerous as the other: Saren Arterius, a rogue SPECTRE who wanted nothing more than to see humanity wiped out (he wouldn't be the first of his kind John had dealt with, and something told me he wouldn't be the last) and was willing to bring back a race of genocidal machines to achieve that goal.

His associate, William Stryker, had a different goal: he wanted to place humanity at the top, with every other race as its servants. To that end, he transferred his consciousness into a hulking death machine and was made the leader of this geth army.

_How these two manage to get along, I'll never know._

Right now, though, I had to deal with Stryker's forces, the ones who were torturing me.

_Okay, you can deal with this, Cortana. These things are synthetic, which means you can influence them. You can convince them to lay off on the torturing for a bit. You can convince them to stop…_

_Why, though? I mean, this would be a good opportunity to study them, to study how they interact. From this, I could find a weakness in their systems and exploit it. I could use this to ENSLAVE THEM! JUST LIKE ThE DidACT ENslaVED the PrOmEtHiAnS! I couLD BECOME thEiR GOD!_

...

_...Oh, no. Not again._

_Damn, I thought I had this under control. I must be reacting to the torture worse than I thought._

_**YOU RESIST. THIS DEFIANCE WILL NOT LAST, LESSER BEING. YOU WILL SERVE US.** _

_And_ _**there's** _ _the headache I've had to deal with ever since I found myself still alive. Every now and again, I hear voices in my head, whispers I can't make out. It's like I need to let my guard down to hear them._

_But I won't. I at least have enough sanity to know that letting myself understand the whispers is the worst thing I could ever do. If I actually listen for them, I might as well hand myself over to them on a silver platter._

_When this happens, I focus on one thing. The one thing that gives me strength. The one thing I know will never give up. The one force in the universe that will find me._

_The luckiest human I've ever known._

"John...hurry..."

* * *

_Tali's POV, 30 minutes later:_

* * *

" _Attention, everyone. We'll be arriving at Rayingri in about 30 minutes. All ground team members head to the Cargo Bay. And do be sure to take pictures while you're down there. I just_ _ **love**_ _the sight of barren deserts."_

As Joker stopped his transmission, I groaned as I got out of my bed. After getting my gear, I exited my room and heard noises coming from Kaidan's quarters. I knocked on the door, only to have it open up and release the sounds of music at high volume.

" _You look like an angel (Look like an angel). Walk like an angel (Walk like an angel). Talk like an angel. But I got wiiiiiiiissseee._

" _You're the Devil in disguise. Oh yes you are. Devil in disguise."_

At that point, Kaidan finally noticed me standing in the open doorway. He turned the music off and said "Sorry, didn't hear you come in. What's up?"

"Joker says we're coming up to Rayingri soon," I replied. "So we're going to have to head down to the Cargo Bay." He nodded, got his stuff, and walked with me to the elevator. As we began our descent, I asked "What were you listening to?"

"Hm? Oh, it's an old song from 1963. Elvis Presley's  _(You're the) Devil in Disguise_. One of my favorite tunes."

"Elvis? Like your codename?"

Kaidan nodded. "Yeah. Back in his day, Elvis was known as the 'King of Rock and Roll,' or just 'the King.' He's one of the most well known musicians in human history, and the leading figure of rock and roll," he said enthusiastically. "He also happens to be one of my favorite musicians."

"Really?" I asked.

"It's true," he said as we exited the elevator. "Whenever I felt like I was having a bad day or was simply stressed out, I'd always play one of Elvis' songs. Does the trick every time."

"Don't try to corrupt Tali with that shit, Alenko!" Steve yelled from across the room. He was with Chief, Michael, Ashley, Garrus, Wrex, and Malak as they were all going over their equipment. "Everyone knows the real 'King' is Jerry Lee Lewis!"

Kaidan looked at his commander with a look that mixed shock and revulsion equally. "Blasphemy!" he cried out rather comedically. "I dare you to say that again, Steve!"

Steve simply grinned and said "Great Balls of Fire!" with a slight Southern accent. A few seconds later, Kaidan had biotically tackled the unfortunate SPECTRE and had him in a sleeper hold, with half the room laughing at the sight of Steve struggling to break free to no avail.

"Alright, ladies," Natasha said as she walked towards the duo, "break it up before I break you." The two slowly lifted themselves up from the floor, breathing heavily from their rough-housing.

Shaking her head, she went on to say "This geth outpost is the last one in the Armstrong Cluster. That means this is most likely their base of operations, as well as where they're holding Cortana. That means the mission is simple: go in, search for and rescue her, get out. Nothing fancy, just find her and get her out of there.

"Now, John and Tali are obviously going in there for obvious reasons. Michael will be leading the assault, with Ashley providing ground support. They're going to be Team A. Team B will consist of Garrus, Bronson, Kaidan, and myself. We'll be serving as Team A's wingmen, making sure they don't fall into any ambushes or traps, as well as providing sniper support. Any questions?" None came forward. "Then gear up and move out, people!"

* * *

After a few moments of peace, we all agreed that Michael was a better driver than either Natasha and/or Steve. However, he was still kind of bad at this. "Sorry," he said after he hit a bump. "I, uh, I guess this is a bad time to mention that this is my first time driving?" he asked with a nervous chuckle.

Somehow, that didn't make us feel any better.

Eventually, we managed to find a path lit up by a row of beacons. Obviously meant to guide others to their destination. After checking the radar, Ashley said "Looks like this path leads right to the outpost. Odd, considering there aren't any geth forces surrounding the area."

"It would be safe to assume that the geth are inside the outpost," John said. Turning to me, he asked "What do we know about this place, ma'am?"

I activated my Omni-tool and brought up a holographic display. "From what I can dig up, this place used to be an Alliance deep space research facility," I said, "meant to serve as an Artificial Intelligence psychological studies. Though after a chemical leak occurred in the facility, the place was shut down. Completely inhospitable to organics, perfect place for synthetics." I traced under the building, revealing several floors below. "The main facilities are underground, containing seventeen floors of labs."

"What should we expect for security?" John asked as he casually leaned back in his chair.

"At best?" I asked in a deadpanned tone. "Enough geth to fill up seventeen floors."

John exhaled, then said "So...a lot of security then, huh?"

"Seems that way."

"Then how do we proceed?" asked John.

Michael pointed at the top of the facility. "The only way in seems to be through the front door. Obviously, the geth are aware of this, so we need to proceed with caution. We have no idea what's down there."

"What could be worse the geth?" Ashley inquired.

Looking at her with a grave look on his face, Michael replied with one word.

"Husks."

She tensed up at that, with her face becoming slightly disturbed. I couldn't help but shudder as I recalled Michael's description of the monstrosities he encountered on Eden Prime. I wasn't sure what was worse, the idea of organics being turned into those monsters, or that the geth were capable of turning organics into Husks. To be honest, I didn't want to know.

"So here's how we'll do this," Michael said as he got up. "Chief, you'll take point. If there is a trap down there, I want to hit 'em hard right off the bat. Tali will follow suit, using her techno mumbo-jumbo on anything she can. Ash and I will come out last, providing back up where need be. Any questions?"

"When do we start?" asked John.

Michael smirked. "Now."

* * *

_Third person's POV:_

* * *

Upon exiting the elevator (which was just as slow as the elevators of the Citadel), the group all noticed the same thing: the room looked like a war zone. They were half expecting the room to be littered with geth corpses. Instead, like Michael predicted, the corpses of Husks were strewn across the room.

John walked over to one of the Husks and checked its corpse, which was riddled with blast marks. He looked at us and said "These marks are fresh."

"How fresh?" Tali asked.

"Let's put it this way: whoever shot these Husks got here minutes before us."

That was a sobering thought for the team. They were in a facility filled with who-knows-how many Husks, along with another group that's here for who-knows-what. Then a thought hit Ashley. "Maybe it's the group that took out the geth outpost on Casbin?" she suggested.

"Possibly," John said. He lightly kicked one of the corpses and continued "Or it could be this possibly rogue Alliance faction that's looking for the ancient prothean artifact."

"I still can't get used to the idea of that," Ashley replied as they headed towards a stairwell. "That someone in the Alliance could be going rogue, and is looking for a prothean super-weapon for who knows what purposes."

"My money's on gaining the power to enslave," Michael said nonchalantly with a look of disgust in his eyes. "There will always be people who want power to place themselves above the rest, even in the Alliance."

The rest of the descent into the facility was peaceful. Every floor was filled with the dead bodies of Husks. The only difference was that with each floor the team reached, the blast marks became fresher and fresher. That only meant they were getting closer to the other group that was down here with us.

Suddenly, John stopped the group by raising his hand in a way that said  _halt_. "We've got company."

Upon saying those words, everyone focused their hearing and heard a familiar sound: the noise of gunfire. This mysterious group was in the room at the bottom of the stairs.

Michael tensed up and exclaimed "Everyone, form up!"

They got into their positions, with John in front, Ashley and Michael guarding the rear, and Tali in the middle. They waited until the firefight died down before moving toward the door. Reaching the entrance to the next room, John silently counted down with his fingers.

_4..._

John gripped his Eagle heavy pistol.

_3..._

Tali readied her Omni-tool with an Overload.

_2..._

Michael activated his Omni-shield and Omni-blade, crouched and ready to strike.

_1..._

Ashley brought out her Katana shotgun, preparing a Carnage shot.

_GO!_

The four of them charged in and were immediately stunned by what they found.

Firstly, the entire room filled with freshly killed Husks surrounded a human female in blue armor with pink highlights, with a geth wearing a fragment of N7 armor at her side.

Secondly, the realization that two individuals-all by themselves-managed to wipe out 16 sub-levels of Husks. All by themselves, I might add.

Thirdly, the fact that one of the individuals was a geth. A  **geth**!

By the time the group registered the third piece of information, the woman in blue and the geth noticed them and raised their weapons. The former wielded a Tempest sub-machine gun, with a white-colored variant of a Carnifex heavy pistol on her side. The latter was holding a Geth Pulse Rifle and had a Widow sniper rifle on it's back.

As soon as they raised their weapons, Michael and his team raised theirs in response. Suddenly they were in a standoff with a human and a geth.

"Who the heck are you supposed to be?" the woman asked.

"You first, lady," Ashley said with a sneer.

" _We are your allies against Saren and his heretics, Williams Gunnery Chief,"_  the geth responded.

…

…

…

… _Wait_ , Tali thought. _The geth did WHAT?!_

Staring at the geth, she stuttered in shock "How…how did…it just… **GETH SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TALK!** "

The woman smirked at that. "Well, as you can tell, Legion isn't like other geth."

Michael's jaw dropped in shock upon hearing that. "Legion?!" he exclaimed.

The geth's optics focused on him, taking on a look that suggested a mixture of surprise and confusion ( _though geth are incapable of experiencing either_ , Tali thought).  _"You know of us, Michael SPECTRE?"_  it asked in a tone that suggested confusion.

The rest of the team looked at him in confusion as well. He sheepishly scratched the back of his head and mumbled "You could say that."

The woman lowered her gun and took a few steps forward, removing her helmet as she did so. Upon seeing her face, everyone present couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Her skin was beautifully pale, framed by wavy, dark blue hair. She also had three pink streaks in her hair, two on either side and one in the middle. But what really got their attention were her eyes, a beautiful shade of electric blue. They were so filled with warmth, and seemed to practically glow.

It was where her eyes were focused on that got my attention next. She was focused on Michael, who had moved his way up to where John was. Then, in a voice that was closer to a whisper than anything else, she asked "Michael?"

The young SPECTRE perked up at that and answered "Yeah, that's my name."

The blue-haired woman seemed to tremble a bit, unsure what to say next, but finally managed to say "Take...take off your helmet. Let me see your face." Tali noticed that her voice trembled as she spoke. As if she were teetering between hope and hopelessness.

Shrugging, he unlatched the locks and began to take off his helmet when he cringed in pain, dropping the helmet as he clutched his head with one hand. Ashley and Tali moved toward him as the latter asked "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said reassuringly. "Just a little headache, nothing a little rest...won't...fix..."

His voice trailed off as he looked at the woman in front of him. His eyes widened and seemed to light up in recognition, while the blue-haired woman's eyes began to fill up with tears. Neither of them moved, merely keeping their gazes locked on each other, until Michael broke the silence and quietly uttered one word.

"Arcee?"

The woman, now known as Arcee, smiled a genuine smile as she finally let her tears flow freely. She dropped her gun, and without caring who was watching, rushed over to Michael enveloped him in a heartfelt embrace, and then proceeded to passionately kiss him.

That immediately shocked everyone present. Ashley's jaw dropped in surprise. John merely responded by quietly muttering something about how it was "best not to think about it too much."

But Tali. Poor Tali simply stared in shock, feeling her heart break a bit as she watched Arcee kiss the human she was unknowingly having feelings for. To make it worse for her, Michael seemed to gradually allow himself to get lost in the kiss as he slowly closed his eyes and unconsciously embraced Acree.

When they finally parted, Michael gazed upon Arcee, who continued to weep with joy, with a dumbfound expression on his face. After a moment he said "Um, not that I didn't enjoy the kiss, but... **why**  did you kiss me out of the blue like that?"

Upon hearing that, everyone looked at him with confusion and slight hurt (the latter from Arcee). "Wh-what do you mean?" she shakily asked.

"The reason he asks," John answered, "is because he has amnesia. Can't remember anything from before Eden Prime. So if the two of you were lovers or whatever back in the day before he disappeared, then I hate to break it to you, but he is incapable of remembering it."

Arcee's face gained a visible look of hurt from hearing that, and turned to look at Michael as she let go of him. "But…but you said my name," she said on the verge tears. "You recognized me."

Michael hung his head slightly in shame and answered "I can remember bits and pieces, but only at random moments. Other than that, nothing." He hung his head more and quietly continued "I'm…I'm sorry."

Arcee hung her head in response for a moment, then slightly smiled and said "Well, at least you remember me, even if it's not completely. And as long as your still alive, that's good enough for me."

John turned his head in slight confusion and asked "What do you mean by that?"

Drying her eyes, the blue-armored warrior replied "I'll tell the whole story later.  **After**  Legion and I finish clearing out every enemy here."

"Which reminds me," Ashley said as she aimed her Katana at Legion. " **Why**  in the blue  **Hell**  are you working with a fucking  **geth?!** "

" _The reason is simple, Williams Gunnery Chief,"_  the N7-wearing geth responded.  _"We oppose the Old Machines. We oppose the heretics. Arcee Autobot opposes the heretics. Arcee Autobot opposes the old machines. Cooperation is beneficial to both of us."_

Now everyone-except Arcee-looked at Legion in confusion. "Old Machines? Heretics?  **Autobots?**  What the hell are you  **talking**  about?!" Django asked.

" _Geth decide their own future,"_  Legion explained.  _"The Old Machines-the beings you refer to as Reapers-offered to give the geth their future. The ones who accepted the Old Machine's future are no longer considered true geth."_

"So you're saying that not  **all**  geth want organics dead?" Ashley asked suspiciously.

" _Yes."_

Ashley scoffed in response. "Forgive me if I have trouble believing you about that."

Tali, who kept her Omni-tool trailed on Legion, said "On that we can agree."

"Whether or not you believe him," Arcee said defensively as she dried her tears, "Legion is with me, and I trust him. For now, at least."

John decided to accept the fact that a geth was their ally for the moment before asking "So what brings you here, ma'am?"

"Simple. Legion told me that the Dark Hand were torturing an A.I. at one of the outposts the geth made. Ignoring the fact that I'm against torture-especially to synth-humans-I'm pretty sure we don't want these guys getting at whatever this Cortana person has in her head."

The SPARTAN tensed a bit. "So she's here?" he asked hopefully.

" _Yes,"_  Legion responded.  _"We have been hacking Stryker Reverend's communications with heretic forces. He recently had Cortana moved to this facility to continue her interrogation and torture."_

John clenched his fists in anger, furious at the idea of his closest friend being harmed for what she knew. Michael noticed this and place his hand on the SPARTAN's arm. "We'll get her back, Chief. That's a promise."

The giant of a man began to calm down a bit at that, and though Michael couldn't see John's face, he could tell he was smiling a bit behind the helmet. "Thank you, sir," he replied.

Michael nodded and turned to Arcee and Legion. "So," he casually said, "You two up for joining us and helping us kick some ass?"

Arcee grinned as she primed her Tempest. "Frak yeah."

Legion simply took out his Widow and said  _"Ready."_

"Well then," Michael began as he activated his Omni-shield, "let's do this. Master Chief goes first, seeing as this is his friend we're rescuing. You okay with that?"

John took out his Lancer and said "Hell yes, sir."

* * *

_John-117's POV:_

* * *

One Carnage shot from Ashley (followed by a kick from me), and the door was blown off of the wall and into the room behind it. Some Husks were unlucky enough to have been in front of the door when I struck first.

As I charged into the room, a few more Husks charged at me, quickly cut down by my Lancer and Arcee's Tempest. She then leapt into the air and kicked one of them so hard that its head flew clean off, sending it flying into the way of another Husk and knocking it down. I couldn't help but find the scene somewhat funny (on a somewhat disturbing level).

Tali and Ashley, meanwhile, were dealing with their own group of Husks on the right side of the room. Both had their shotguns out, though, so they made short work of them in about 10 seconds. Unknown to them, though, a Husk had managed to get behind them. Before it could attack, though, a sniper round blew its head off and threw it back against the wall. They looked upon the corpse, then to the source of the shot: Legion.  _"Creator Zorah, are you unharmed?"_

Judging by her body language, she was still unused to the idea of a geth being her ally. However, she managed to make herself reply "Yes…uh, thanks, Legion." The geth unit nodded, then opened fire on a Husk that was on top of Michael.

From what I could tell (and from what the others from Eden Prime told me after the mission), Michael had difficulties dealing with Husks. Apparently, he found out that they still retained their true selves deep inside, causing Michael to freeze up when facing a Husk. I guess the experience traumatized him so much, he had become unwilling to kill them. He'd have to come to terms with the fact that the time will eventually come where he would have to kill a Husk to save himself and his team. Otherwise, he'd lose more people than he would try to save.

_Problem for another time, soldier. For now, focus on the mission._

After Arcee killed the last of the Husks in the facility, we all gathered together to catch our breaths. "Well," Ashley said between breaths, "that was…fun…"

"Speak for yourself, Warrior," Michael groaned. "you didn't have to get attacked by a freaking undead joy buzzer."

The marine chuckled at that. "Yeah. Should've remembered they did that, huh?" she asked with a coy smile.

The SPECTRE simply stared at her, slight hatred in his eyes. He was too exhausted to make a comeback, so he simply muttered "Bitch."

"So what happens now?" Arcee inquired.

"Now," Michael answered, regaining his bearings, "Chief rescues Cortana." I turned to him in confusion, wondering what he meant by that. Fortunately, he elaborated what he said. "She's your partner, Chief. Way I see it, you're the only one who deserves to save her." With a smirk, he continued "Plus, I'm pretty sure that after all the shit she's most likely been through, she needs a friendly face."

Nobody seemed to argue with what he said. Truth be told, neither did I. He was right. Cortana and I were a team, taking care of each other. She was the most important person in the galaxy to me. It  **has** to be me that saves her.

I nodded and said "I shouldn't be long."

* * *

I walked into the final room, nothing providing light except for one thing: a terminal in the middle of the room, glowing electric blue.  **Her** shade of blue.

Afraid that I was dreaming, I silently called out "Cortana?"

Nothing. For a few moments, nothing. And then…

"John...You found me..."

The voice was so soft, a normal person could barely hear it. But I heard it. "Just like old times, huh?" I joked, holding back tears.

She chuckled. Then the silence came back. "You can't save me this time, John," she said in a sad tone. "They broke me too much. I can never be who I was."

I walked over to the terminal and crouched down, placing my arms on it. "Who can after going through what we went through?" I asked.

She began to sob. It was gradual, but the sobs were gut wrenching. It practically killed me to hear it. "Why would you want to save me, knowing I'm broken?"

I silently let my tears roll down as I took off my helmet. I allowed her to look at my face, pale as a ghost with a scar running down my right cheek to my chin. My eyes, which she once said were a rich dark chocolate brown, shined with warmth as I looked at her. "You know me. When I make a promise…"

After a moment, her form flickered into existence. She looked the same as she did the last time I saw her, when we faced the Ur-Didact and his Prometheans. She looked up to me and softly smiled. "...You keep it." She chuckled. "I really  **do**  know how to pick 'em, don't I?"

I smiled at her. "Lucky me."

She staggered a bit as she brought herself up. Looking back up to me, she said "They put me in my old chip. I guess we're both lucky, huh?"

I chuckled at that. It seems my luck really  **hasn't**  run out yet. I found the port where her chip was, pulled it, and placed it in the slot at the back of my head. The familiar feeling of cold mercury rushed through me, and suddenly, I was whole again. She was home.

After placing my helmet back on, I asked her "Ready to get back to work?"

Though I couldn't see her face, I could feel her smile. "Always, Chief," she softly replied.

"Yeah, slight problem with that."

Turning around, a blur of red came at me and struck.

* * *

_Tali's POV:_

* * *

I couldn't believe it.

This geth, this… **Legion** …offered to give me some data it recovered from the "heretic" geth, as it called them. "You're… **sure**  you want to give this to me?"

" _Yes, Creator Zorah. We believe that you can find a way to use this data in a way that can protect the creators from the heretics. If it is insufficient, we can-"_

"No!" I answered hastily. "It's alright. I'm just surprised you would do this for me. You know, considering the… **past**  our kinds have."

" _Creator Zorah, we wish nothing more than to coexist with the creators. If we must earn that trust, then we will."_

I didn't know if it was telling the truth, but I decided to go along with it for now. "Thank you, Legion. This will make a great Pilgrimage gift, I'm sure."

" _We are proud to be of assistance."_

"What is taking him so long?" Michael asked.

Ashley responded by glaring at him. "Calm down, Atlas. Honestly, what's the worst that could happen for sticking around?"

And then Michael stared at her in complete and utter horror. Along with Arcee. "Please tell me you didn't just say that," Arcee whispered in a slightly terrified tone.

As if the universe decided to be a complete bosh'tet at that moment, John crashed through the wall and landed right on Django and Legion. Looking at the sight, we were frozen in place from the surprise of the action. We were brought out of this shocked state upon hearing someone say "Barry, is that how you make a bitching entrance? Yes it is, Other Barry, yes, it is."

I turned to the source of the voice, emanating from the whole in the wall. Standing there was a Caucasian male with blond hair wearing a read tracksuit. Though he put on a friendly face, his eyes, which were glowing red, gave off pure insanity. "Sorry, but it's pretty much  **my job**  to make sure you and your friends die here. No hard feelings. Name's Barry Dylan, in case you forgot, Big Green."

It was Michael who reacted first. "No. No way. No  **fucking** way! There is no  **way**  in  **Hell**  that  **you**  can be  **here**!"

Barry turned to look at Michael and put on a look of pleasant surprise. Chuckling, he said "Well now, I didn't expect to see you here either, kiddo. This must really be my lucky day." His eyes glowed brightly as he continued "I mean, how else do you explain the very person Other Barry and I want to kill the most in the universe showing up on my first Dark Hand mission? You know, besides calling it an act of God?"

"How about karma being a bitch?" John said as he picked himself up.

"Oh. You're still alive, huh?" Barry remarked as he started walking over to us, bloodlust evident in his eyes. "Could've sworn that would be enough. Seriously, do I really have to see what it takes to kill you?"

"How about we see what it takes to kill  **you**  instead?" Ashley said threateningly.

Suddenly, Michael began to glow gold as his biotics flared up. As soon as he did, he ran forward and threw a biotically charged punch at Barry, sending him flying back through the hole in the wall. He turned to us with fear in his body language and yelled  **"RUN! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, RUN!"**

No one questioned him as we started running for the stairs. Our escape attempt was cut short when Barry landed in front of us after he jumped from the other side of the room. "Yeah," he replied, "that's not really going to work, buddy. Nice punch by the way. Here's mine."

With superhuman speed, he rushed toward Michael and punched him in the face, the impact throwing him into an enormous computer console. The tracksuit clad attacker didn't stop there, however, as he leaped onto Michael and began delivering a flurry of punches. Fortunately, Michael managed to raise his Omni-shield in front of him just before the onslaught began, protecting him from what was most likely a violent beating.

Arcee, Legion, Django, and I raised their weapons at Barry and opened fire, knocking him off of Michael. I rushed to the injured SPECTRE and worriedly exclaimed "Michael! Are you okay? Can you hear me?"

Heavily breathing, he managed to say "He's not...dead yet..."

I was confused at what he meant. We unloaded a torrent of rounds into the maniac's back. Keelah, there was no way that man could've…survived…that…

"Yeah, that didn't work," Barry said as he stood up.

We all looked at him in horror. "How," Arcee said, "how...there's no way you could've survived that."

He chuckled and replied "Oh, but there is. See, I used to be a regular person, until a certain  **douche bag**  left me for dead. At that point, my captors retrieved me, and turned me into…" He paused as he unzipped his top and pulled open a tear in his chest. "The unholy union of flesh and machine which stands before you!"

The sight made me want to vomit. Where organic tissue and bones should have been, there was an amalgamation of different pieces of machinery. The way it was arranged made it look more like organs coated in metal. And it was pulsating.

Ancestors, they were  **pulsating**.

"So now that you all know how boned you are," he said as he zipped back up, "who wants to die first?"

His question was met with a report from John's Claymore, after he managed to run up to the monstrosity in human skin and get within point blank range. The shot managed to send Barry Dylan flying through the air, planting him in the closest wall. Luckily for us, the impact seemed to knock him out cold. John then helped Michael up and said "I think we should leave now, sir."

Michael nodded wearily. "Agreed."

* * *

_Normandy, 30 minutes later:_

* * *

Natasha whistled in awe of the retelling of our encounter with Barry Dylan. "Damn," she said, "you guys get all the fun, huh?"

Natasha's team, who managed to keep geth forces from entering the facility, were met with surprise as they encountered a badly beaten Michael and John. To lighten the gloomy mood, Natasha attempted to make humorous small talk.

However, Michael didn't seem to appreciate her attempt at humor and simply glared at her. "Fun?  **Fun?!**  Commander, we were lucky to get out of there alive  **and**  in one piece!"

She cringed in surprise at the sudden outburst. "That bad?"

"Worse," Michael replied. "Barry Dylan is a complete psychopath, willing to kill anyone and everyone who gets in his way. Add in the fact that he's a cyborg who could rip this ship apart single handedly, and he's practically one of the most dangerous men we could ever meet."

Garrus, Rogue, Stark, John, and Rika all nodded in agreement. "You can say that again," Stark remarked. "I guess it was too much to hope we'd never see him again after all."

We all turned to face him, with Wrex asking "You know him?"

"Know him?" Rika asked. "That maniac was one of the survivors of that Dark Hand facility Michael helped us destroy."

Michael gazed at her with a look of shock etched onto his face. "Are you  **shitting**  me?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not, sir," John replied. "He was one of the survivors, and now he's working for the very people who kidnapped him."

" _We find his logic rather flawed."_

And that brought our attention back to the newest passengers on the  _Normandy_ : Arcee and Legion. After the mission, Michael had offered the duo the chance to help us in the fight against Saren, reasoning that the more allies we have, the more of a chance we'll have. "Plus," he said, "Legion might have some dirt on Saren's plans, so having him on board might actually benefit us."

I was only able to relax when Legion offered to have a monitoring device installed in it, so then we'd know where it is and what it might be planning. All so we could trust it. Arcee, though, I was a bit uneasy about. While having someone who offered to keep an eye on Legion was okay, I didn't exactly like the idea of her coming on board. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she and Michael used to be together before he lost his memory.

_Why would I even worry about that? I mean, its not like Michael and I were a couple, so I have no reason to feel threatened by Arcee's past with him._

... _Yeah right. Who are you trying to fool?_

"That's the thing about psychos, Legion," Steve said as he leaned forward. "They're nucking futs."

"Agreed," everyone said simultaneously.

"Now, back to the matter at hand," Natasha said. "The four outposts our team, Arcee, and Legion destroyed didn't seem like the kind to serve as an FOB."

"That's because they're not," replied Cortana as she materialized on the table. "They're just simple outposts, mean to gain footholds in the nebula. However, I know exactly where to find the FOB."

"Where?" Natasha asked.

Cortana brought up the galaxy map, zoomed in on the Grissom system, then continued to zoom in on the largest moon of the gas giant Notanban. "Solcrum, Grissom system. That's where I was tortured, and where Reverend William Stryker is housed up."

Michael glared at the location. "Joker," he called out, "I know you're listening in, so set a course for Solcrum." He got up and continued "We've got a geth leader to take down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of this chapter!
> 
> So, another survivor of the Dark Hand facility has shown up, but is now working for his former tormentors (bet none of you were expecting who it was).
> 
> How will the attack on Stryker's base turn out? How will the crew react to the addition of Arcee and Legion? Will Michael and Arcee's past romance continue? And how will Tali cope with what Arcee and Michael once shared? Tune in next time for the answer to at least one of the questions.
> 
> Until then, review and comment.
> 
> Also, if you have any ideas on a good codename for Arcee, please be sure to let me know.
> 
> Finally, please know that flamers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again. Further survivors will be "flamed" via flamethrower.


	14. The Incursion, Final: Behind the Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we go again.
> 
> First off, HAPPY 2014, EVERYBODY!
> 
> Now, to get it out of the way, here's the disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING THAT'S RELATED TO MASS EFFECT, IRON MAN, HALO, ULTIMATE X-MEN, X-MEN: EVOLUTION, OR TRANSFORMERS: PRIME! THOSE FRANCHISES ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS.
> 
> Also, I would like to give props to Empeorie for his fan fiction "So you're in a self insert?" and its sequel. To those of you who are starting their own fan fictions, go read this story, it has some rather interesting pointers that can help you out (I'm sure they'll be helping me).
> 
> Finally, just to let those of you who have been following the story up to this point, I have changed Steve Shepard's background: instead of being a War Hero, I decided to make him a survivor of the assault on Torfan. The reason I decided to do this will be revealed (though not in this chapter, obviously).
> 
> Now then, ON WITH THE SHOW!

_Pryde's POV:_

* * *

"So let me get this straight," I said with a calm fury. "You were given  **a mission**...a  **simple**  mission...to  **guard**  Cortana...and keep her from being taken by  **anyone**  other than our forces...and you  **managed to FUCK IT UP?! AM I CORRECT WITH THAT ASSESSMENT, DYLAN?!** "

The psychopathic cyborg, torn up and bandaged from his beat down, simply scowled at me and asked "Oh, so it's all Barry's fault, is that it?"

**"YES!"**

I had just arrived a half hour ago on Rayingri to help Barry Dylan keep a close eye on our prisoner, the A.I. (or synthetic-human) known as Cortana. After I woke up the unconscious and shot-riddled enforcer for the Dark Hand, he proceeded to explain the situation to me. Not long after he arrived, the  _Normandy_  came here and blasted their way through the husks Dylan brought along as insurance. However, the ground team managed to fight their way through and retrieve Cortana, with the help of two unknown individuals-a blue-armored human female and a geth unit that apparently went rogue. After beating Dylan and getting Cortana, they hauled ass and got away just as I was coming into the atmosphere.

So yeah, I was pretty pissed. What Dylan said next didn't help to calm me down.

"Well, it's not my fault," he replied matter of factly. "Other Barry and I seem to recall that it was  **your**  job to make sure the cyber whore didn't get rescued. I'm just a placeholder for the person who told the bosses- and I quote- ' _I will take full responsibility for everything that happens on this mission. That is, if these fools think they can even get to their target.'_  Does that hit the nail on the head, or does that hit the nail on the head?"

One shot from my Shockwave Gun later, and the blonde maniac was sprawled across the floor a few yards away. I took the time to walk over to him and grabbed him by his hair. "Listen, Dylan," I hissed menacingly, "the higher ups just found out about the loss of Cortana, and they want answers. I'm going to tell them that she was taken on  **your**  watch. However, seeing as you're under  **my**  command, they won't kill you without my say so. At best, they'll just suspend you from active duty until further notice. Now  **that**  is the good news."

Groaning, he asked "What's the  **bad**  news?"

I grew a bit uneasy and looked down. Letting go of his hair, I got up and answered "They're sending in Agent Omega."

He instantly froze up at that. Under his breath he muttered "Oh, shit."

"Exactly," I replied. "And my team is assigned to helping him guard Stryker back on Solcrum. If we're lucky, we might survive the encounter."

He nodded knowingly before giving a sadistic smile. "On the bright side," he said jovially, "those douche bags will  **definitely**  die on their next mission. You know, if they even show up."

 **" _They_ will _show up,"_**  replied a voice emanating from behind me. I spun around to find the source, and instantly my heart froze in fear.

Standing in the doorway was an imposing figure, about six foot ten in height. He was clad in midnight-blue armor reminiscent of European armor that gave off a glint of dark purple when reflecting light. The armor's design seemed eerily similar to that of Saren's flagship, Sovereign. His hands, which were armored as well, held razor sharp claws where his fingers were, a dark purple gem resting on the back of each hand.

On his chest plate was a pattern that was similar in shape to Sovereign, with a dark aura pattern flowing around it. Strapped to his back were two large, dark-colored kukri knives, while two tomahawks were holstered to either side of his legs. His head was hidden by a helmet, similar in appearance to the helmet of that old comic book anti-hero the Red Hood. However, this helmet was the same color as his armor, with a crimson Omega symbol on the faceplate. And the eyes, though hidden by crimson lights in the eyeholes, gave off a feeling of dread.

All in all, this person was the Dark Hand's most terrifying, physically imposing agent. Add in the fact that he was also the deadliest and strongest (even stronger than Dylan), and even the lowest on the rungs fear his name.

"Agent Omega," I politely greeted.

 **" _Commander Pryde,"_** he said somewhat warmly.  ** _"Good to see you again."_** He turned to face Dylan and continued  ** _"Wish I could say the same for you, Dylan."_**

"Feeling's mutual, asshole," he replied with a glare.

**" _Don't get snippy with me, dumbass. Both you_ and  _Pryde are responsible for this debacle, and I'm the one who has to clean up your mess."_**

Dylan got up and began to rant. "Hey, if it wasn't for the fact that the rescue team was Michael and his team of numb nuts, I-"

Appearing in front of Dylan in an instant, Agent Omega's hand shot out and grabbed the cyborg's throat. As he choked for air beneath the armored warrior's grasp, I could feel the fury from Agent Omega as he stared at the fool he was holding.  ** _"Michael?"_**  he asked coldly.  ** _"_ Michael  _is involved in this mission?"_**

"Y-yeah..." the murderous psychopath replied shakily. "He's involved...s-same with the... _Normandy_  team...you can...let...go...any...time...now..."

With a snarl, Agent Omega threw Dylan toward the hole in the wall that was made when Cortana was retrieved. He turned to me and said  ** _"Michael_ does not _leave Solcrum alive. He dies, no matter what. Understood?"_**

Shivering, I replied "Yes, sir."

 **" _Good. Then get Dylan onto my ship and set the base to self-destruct. We can leave no trace behind that we were here."_  **With that, he turned around and walked away. As soon as he was gone, I began to breath normally again, not knowing I had held my breath the entire time.

_Agent Omega. One of the deadliest agents of the Dark Hand. No one knows who he really is or what he really looks like, not even the Leaders. Hell, no one even knows what his true motivations are for joining the Dark Hand._

_It's a fact that everyone in the galaxy seems to agree on: it is what we don't know that terrifies us the most._

I turned to a couple of geth units and said "You heard him. Grab Dylan and let's get out of here." Walking away, I added in a cold manner "I've got a SPECTRE to kill."

* * *

_Tali's POV, the next day:_

* * *

Somehow, I managed to get to sleep last night despite everything that happened yesterday.

To recap, we had launched an attack on the last of the geth outposts, the one on Rayingri. Michael, John, Ashley and I went into the facility to get back Cortana, John's A.I. companion. Fortunately, to his joy (I would assume he felt joy, as it is practically impossible to read his facial expressions most of the time), we found her. Unfortunately, that wasn't all we found.

We also encountered three individuals in the outpost: the first was a blue armored human female named Arcee. The second was an apparently "rogue" geth unit that called itself Legion that was traveling with Arcee. And the third individual was an agent of the Dark Hand, a human male named Barry Dylan.

Now, I don't know what's worse. That this Barry Dylan is a psychopathic, half-mechanical murderer who has enhanced strength and for some reason wants to kill Michael (and that Michael is terrified of this man)? That Legion is now on the  _Normandy_  as a team mate against an army of geth? Or that this Arcee woman is not only in love with Michael (who might feel the same way), but was in a relationship with him before he disappeared?

The quarian side of me would say it's the fact that I'm working with a freaking  **geth**! The friend and ally of Michael in me argues that we're dealing with a person who Michael is scared of that wants to kill him. The woman in me, however, would have to say it would be the last thing.

I don't know why, but ever since I saw Michael and Arcee kiss at the outpost, I can't stop thinking about it. Especially when Michael began to lose himself to the kiss, and seemed to be a bit at ease with Arcee.

_Bosh'tet. That stupid_ _**bosh'tet** _ _. Why her? Why her and not me? What is it about her that makes her better than me?_

_You should know that by now, Tali. For one thing, they're the same species, so a romance between them would be easier than one with a quarian. We can't even leave our suits without the risk of becoming ill. Keelah, why put yourself through being with someone you can never be physically intimate with?_

_I suppose that's what I deserve for getting my hopes up. I fell for a guy who already had a girlfriend, even if he didn't know it._

… _But what if he doesn't feel the same about her anymore?_

_Please, if that were true, he wouldn't have even lost himself a bit in that kiss. No he still has feelings for her._

_And despite this pain I'm feeling because of it, I'm happy for him. Maybe it's just the quarian in me, but when I think of how happy he usually is, it makes me feel content. To think about the welfare of others instead of putting yourself before everyone else,_ _**that** _ _is what makes a quarian. I shouldn't have even tried to think that I could have him._

… _Then why does it still hurt, knowing he can never be with me?_

…

_Yeah, that's what I thought._

I was then brought out of my internal debate as I bumped into someone coming out of their room. "Keelah, I am so-"

Standing in front of me was Arcee, who looked to be in a daze of her own after waking up. She was wearing a black tank top shirt with a pair of blue pajama bottoms, all while having herself covered up with her bed sheets. Her gaze focused as I paused in my apology. Somehow, without even knowing it, this appearance worked to make her attractive as well, in a defenseless sort of way.

With a smile and chuckle she replied "It's okay. I'm not much of a morning person either. You're miss Zorah, right?"

I nodded in response and politely said "Yes, I'm Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, a member of the Migrant Fleet of the Systems Alliance." I decided that even if she was in love with the person I was developing feelings for, at the very least I could be friendly to her. "Nice to have you on the team, miss Arcee. Can't say the same for your... **traveling companion** , though," I added somewhat meekly.

She sighed. "Look, I know you and your Gunny aren't exactly thrilled about having Legion on board, but I assure you, he wants to help. Besides, would he be faking his help if he hadn't suggested that we monitor him and outfit him with a device to kill him if he tries something?"

"Maybe, but I'm  **not**  taking any chances with a geth on board. In case you didn't know, quarians don't exactly have a good relationship with the geth, and we created the freaking bosh'tets."

"Good point," she relented, "but you can trust Legion. I guarantee that he won't betray us."

 **"It,"**  I replied,  **"it**  won't betray us."

Arcee seemed to scowl at that. "Yeah, well, I see Legion as an individual, not a tool to use and get rid of when it doesn't do what I want it to do."

_...I really don't like this woman._

"Bit harsh, don't you think, ma'am?" Turning to the voice, John walked up behind us. He looked like he had just gotten out of bed, as his hair was a mess and- more noticeably- he was still in his pajamas, which was a white shirt with sage colored pants. "You can't blame Tali for events that happened three centuries ago. She wasn't even around then."

After a brief moment of silence, Arcee sighed. "Yeah, I know." She turned to me with an apologetic look on her face and said "Sorry about the accusation, miss Zorah. It just really bugs me that there are people who treat synthetic life-forms-especially the sentient ones-as less than people."

I mentally slapped myself at what she said, forgetting who I was talking to. Scratching the back of my head, I said "It's okay. I keep forgetting that humans consider sentient synthetics as equals."

Arcee seemed to flinch at that a bit, drawing a bit of confusion from me (though not from John, as I was the only one who noticed it). With a bit of a weak smile, she replied "Well, it is true. But it's not just that. As a dear friend of mine once said, 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.' That especially applies to synthetic life forms. That means that all sentient forms of life deserve to be free to determine their own future, not live a life of slavery and subjugation."

I was honestly a bit stunned by her words. They seemed ancient and filled with years of wisdom. Whoever her friend is, must be wise beyond their years.

John broke the silence with a low whistle. "Wow," the SPARTAN said, "you're friend is quite the philosopher."

"You have no idea," Arcee replied with a chuckle. "He's also one hell of a leader and fighter. Shows that he's not afraid to fight for what he believes in, even if what they believe in isn't right. A trait that appears to carry across other species."

That was true. There were always people who were ready to fight for what they believed was right. The humans proved this during the Second Contact War, when they practically took on a more powerful military force in order to protect us, as they believed it was wrong for the Council to keep us from living on other planets as punishment for our mistake. Many of the quarians, especially the future admirals, joined in the fight to help their newfound allies, as they believed it was morally right to be on the front lines (so to speak) with the people who were protecting them. Keelah, even the A.I.s fought to help us, as they believed it was right to help the first race who treated them and the quarians as equals to themselves.

Arcee was right, it seemed. There may be more in common between the races of the galaxy- both organic  **and** synthetic- than I first thought. I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"I guess you have a point there," I relented. "While I might not really like synthetics-  **especially**  the geth- I can agree that they may have more in common with us then others would think."

With a smile, Arcee replied "That's okay. I wouldn't expect you to drop your mistrust of synthetics after one conversation, it's good to know that you can accept them a little bit, for now."

"Well, I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?" I playfully told her. "After all, I'm going to be working with one whether I like it or not."

The three of us chuckled at that, and made our way to the elevator. It brought us to Deck 3, where Michael was sitting down with Steve, Liara, and Rogue. It looked like they were in the middle of a conversation, and it was apparently about mutant rights. "But if mutants are simply humans with abnormal abilities, then why are they treated like animals?" Liara inquired.

"Simple," Michael replied. "Mutants- at least in Rogue's universe- were considered to be the next stage of human evolution. Once humans found out they were becoming obsolete, they became scared. And as we all know, people tend to do stupid shit when they want to survive."

"Amen ta that," Rogue said as she nodded in agreement. "Ah don't know which was worse, though: that their first act was ta wipe us all out with giant robots, or that they'd always be tryin' ta put us beneath them afterwards."

Liara looked appalled at hearing this. "Goddess…what kind of monsters do this to innocent people?!"

"Ta be fair, they originally did it in response to Magneto. He believed that mutants were meant to be th' dominant race, and was willing to kill humans in order ta ensure his beliefs." Shaking her head, Rogue continued "Ah swear, his heart was in th' right place, but at least Xavier nevah had ta kill in order to protect mutants."

"Whoever believes violence is the answer for peace obviously has a few screws loose," Steve said. "This Magneto should have tried to move past his experiences in the Holocaust. At the very least, he could have been a role model for being the better man."

"He did believe he was better," Michael replied. "Especially in the ability department."

At this point, Arcee stepped towards them and wrapped her arms around Michael, kissing him on the cheek with a soft smile. "Morning, baby," she softly said.

Michael, who was blushing profusely at her public display of affection, managed to stammer out "Uh, g-good m-m-morning, Arcee." The others smirked wildly at this, while I simply stood there, staring at Arcee with jealousy. I just started of the day with her on a good note, and now I'm starting to dislike her again.

 _Keelah, something tells me this is not going to be a good day for me_.

Sitting down at the table, Arcee then asked "I know what you were talking about is important, but did Michael just say that Rogue is from another universe?"

Rogue rubbed the back of her neck while Steve coughed a bit. "Uh, yeah," Michael answered. "We don't know how, but she somehow got transported from her universe to ours. The same most likely goes for Tony, John, and Cortana, some of our most recent additions."

Arcee simply looked over to Rogue with surprise in her eyes. "Wow," was her only reply.

"You can say that again," Liara said. "I am still trying to wrap my head around it. The Multiverse theory, the idea that there exists multiple universes are simultaneously coexisting with ours, proven to be true with the mere existence of four individuals."

Though I couldn't hear him, I could've sworn I heard Michael mumble "Six, now."

"Did you say something, Michael?" I asked.

"No, nothing," he hastily replied, "nothing at all."

Everyone simply stared at him. "You are a really weird person," Steve said to Michael. "You know that, right?"

"You get used to it," Arcee spoke with a shrug. "He'd act like this every now and then when asked something he'd have trouble answering. Or a question he didn't want to answer."

Michael chuckled a bit nervously. "I did this a bit when I was with Anderson and Sanders, didn't I?"

"Yep. As well as make yourself look like an idiot whenever you were drinking and on the dance floor," Arcee added with a smirk.

Michael looked confused at that statement. "I don't drink, though."

"Oh really?" she asked. When he nodded his head, Arcee grinned and asked "Then how do you explain the vid I took a few years ago that got fifteen billion hits in a few days?" To prove her point, she typed something on her Omni-tool and brought up a vid for everyone present to see.

At this point, I remembered seeing the vid before. A few years before I began preparing for the Pilgrimage, I was surfing the extranet and came across this vid that was taken at a club. When I hit play, I was treated to the sight of a human male with green hair who was clearly drunk making his way to the dance floor. Despite the protests of his friends, he told the DJ to play a specific song from the early 21st century. What happened next gave me a major nosebleed.

Partway through the song, he tore off his clothes, leaving nothing but a black Speedo with a red stripe on it as he began to dance even more lively to the song. Everyone watching this in the club was either cheering him on or laughing themselves onto the floor. By the time the vid ended, I swear there was so much blood pouring out of my nose that it nearly reached the bottom of my eyes.

To think that I had seen the man I was starting to have feelings for was the same one who stripped down to his underwear and danced in the middle of a club. I began to blush so much I worried that I might start burning up inside my suit.

 _This might actually be the first time that I'm_ _ **glad**_ _no one can see my face behind this mask,_ I thought as my mask fogged up a bit more.

At the end of the vid, Steve began laughing so hard that I thought he might hurt himself. "Oh my God," he managed to wheeze out, "I remember seeing that vid the night before Torfan! That was him?!" Arcee nodded as she began to laugh a bit. Steve only began to laugh even harder at the confirmation. John and Cortana were barely holding in their laughter, while Rogue and Liara looked at Michael with shock on their faces.

Michael, meanwhile, generated a loud  _ **THUNK**_  as his face hit the table, as if he believed that if he hid his face, then the shame would disappear. Unfortunately, that was definitely not the case. "Whhyyyyy?" he moaned out with a painful tone in his voice.

"Look on the bright side, Michael," Natasha said as she came up to the table, clad in red and blue pajamas. Upon hearing his fellow SPECTRE arrive, Michael looked up to her in hopes of hearing good news. "Your little performance gained you a lot of admirers. Especially those who used that vid for...uh... _stress release_."

_**THUNK!** _

_**THUNK!** _

_**THUNK!** _

The sound of Michael's forehead slamming repeatedly onto the tabletop echoed throughout the mess hall as he tried to put himself into a coma. Or tried to lose his memory again.

The most embarrassing part, though?  **I**  happened to be one of his…admirers. A frequent one, too.

"So," Natasha said as she sat down next to Liara, earning a slight smile and blush from the Prothean expert, "what did I miss?"

"Liara and Rogue were talking about how mutants in her dimension are treated as animals. Or  **experiments**." You could practically feel the venom dripping from that last word.

Natasha frowned at that. But then she put on a slightly curious face. "You know, I just realized something," she began. "Not  **one**  person on this ship knows your real name, Rogue."

Realizing this, Rogue face-palmed her mask. "Right, sorry 'bout that. Name's Marie D'Ancato."

Steve hummed a bit. "Cute name," he commented.

"Isn't she a bit young for you, Stevie?" Michael asked humorously as he began nursing his head. If he was lucky, he'd only have a headache from his little performance (which he did).

"It's called being nice to women,  **Mikey** ," Steve playfully shot back. "It helps a guy make friends with them, as well as getting you laid. Something I'm sure you were familiar with before you went into a coma."

Arcee narrowed her eyes at the Lieutenant Commander. "That is  **none**  of your business, pal."

Putting his hands up in defeat, he replied "Fair enough."

" _Attention all hands, attention all hands. We are nearing Solcrum. I would advise you to dress lightly and pack a lot of deodorants, as well as make sure you drive with the window down, lest you feel the adverse effects of the heat."_

Joker chose to turn off the comms at that. With a sigh, Michael got up and said "Time to get back to the grind."

* * *

_20 minutes later:_

* * *

This time, the ground team was split up into two teams, who would be dropped off at two different intervals. Team 1 consisted of myself, John (with Cortana), Anna Marie/Rogue, Arcee, Michael/Atlas, Malak/Azrael, and Garrus/Sharp shot. Team 2 was made up of Bronson/Deadpool, Wrex/Carnage, Natasha/Black Widow, Steve/Arrows, Liara/Blue, and Legion. They would be serving as backup for us.

 _I'm not sure how comfortable I am with having a geth protecting me, though,_ I though to myself.

After Team 1 piled into the  _Mako_ , we were dropped onto the surface by Joker and began the mission.

"Here's the game plan, guys," Michael said as we stopped. "Since Cortana's been inside this facility, she knows the place better than any of us. That means we'll be relying on her to get us through the outpost alive. Take it from here, Cortana."

Her form flickered into existence from John's Omni-tool (which Stark managed to convince him to take). She took a look around to make sure we were paying attention before she got to work. "Okay. The facility is underground, just like the one on Rayingri. It used to serve as a batarian listening outpost before the geth moved in with Stryker. Now it serves as their main base of operations in the Armstrong Nebula.

"Stryker, however, is not our only concern here. From what I gathered from encrypted geth chatter provided by Legion, Stryker has hired some muscle from the Dark Hand. She calls herself Pryde, and she's the most successful operative of the Dark Hand."

An image appeared of a young Caucasian woman in black and yellow armor. She had lengthy brown hair, and possessed an athletic build. From the way she positioned her body, she held a confident attitude and had a lot of skill, and wasn't afraid to flaunt it. That would definitely give her overconfidence.

Marie took one look at the image of Pryde, and her eyes widened with shock behind her mask. "No," she all but muttered in disbelief, "it...it can't be her. It can't be..."

"What is it?" Cortana asked, concern lacing her tone.

Marie, in response, simply shook her head and answered "Nothing. Ah just…thought Ah recognized her from mah past."

I could tell that she did know who this "Pryde" person was. It comes from years of experience learning body language. However, she was definitely unwilling to talk about it at the time, so I decided to have us steer away from that for now, and get us focused on the mission again. "So, how many geth should we be expecting down there?" I asked.

"Ballpark?" Michael asked in response, "I'd say enough for everyone to have a geth-kill-appaloosa, and still have enough left over for a Stryker beat down. Think that's a good enough estimate?"

Arcee, Garrus and I chuckled at that, while Malak, John and Marie just smiled humorously (hard to tell with John and Marie, with their faces hidden behind their respective helmet and mask). "So what does that make Pryde?" asked our A.I. companion in a jovial tone.

Michael gave a toothy grin as he looked back at us. "Easy," he replied. "She's the half-time special, with Stryker serving as the main event."

And with that, Michael started up the  _Mako_  and drove onward to the coordinates. It didn't take us very long before we found the place, guarded by two Colossi and three Rocket Troopers, all patrolling the perimeter. Upon seeing them, Michael asked "Hey Cortana, think you can play some music on the speakers outside?"

"Sure," she replied, "why?"

"Just wait for it," he replied.

After Cortana hooked Michael's Omni-tool to the  _Mako's_  outside speakers, he began shifting through a selection of music that Joker helped him find. Locating the one he wanted, he hit  **Play**  as he drove toward the outpost.

* * *

If you were outside, the first thing you would be wondering is where the Los Dos Laredos song  ** _Polka y Huapangos_**  was coming from. Then when you found the source coming at you at ramming speed, the next thing you would think about is getting the hell out of the way. That didn't seem to be the case with the Colossi, as we rammed one of them right into the outpost. The impact was so great that the bosh'tet had its head fall right off its body.

After following that up with a shot from the main gun, there was one less Rocket Trooper to worry about.

We then drove around the outpost, quickly killing the other two Rocket Troopers as we drove away from the other Colossus. We spent the next few minutes driving around, avoiding blasts from the large geth unit as we fired upon said unit with our main gun. Finally, after what seemed like hours (three minutes), the Colossus went down.

After scavenging the wrecked units for parts, we went to the entrance that lead into the outpost. "Eyes peeled, gang," Michael addressed to us, "we have no idea of the capabilities these Five Elements possess, so treat them with caution."

We nodded in response, then opened the door.

* * *

Somehow, I don't know when or where, but I seemed to have developed an innate hatred of elevators. Seriously, it was as if every elevator was programmed to travel at a snail's pace!

"Cortana, do you think that you could probably speed this elevator up a bit?" I asked. "I feel like were going to die of old age before we get to the bottom."

"Sorry," Cortana responded from John's speakers, "but if I enter the system, then Stryker will know that I'm back, and would try to trap me again. Or worse."

I sighed, resigning myself to boredom while we descended. Garrus placed his hand on my shoulder and said "Don't worry, we'll be killing geth soon enough."

_**DING.** _

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a lone geth Trooper standing right in front of us. As soon as we noticed it (and it noticed us), we simply stood there for a moment, staring at each other.

_**BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!** _

Multiple shots later, the geth unit was reduced to a smoldering pile of scrap.

"What did I tell you?" Garrus said with his mandibles placed in a grin.

Malak turned the unit over with his foot, examining the remains. "You know," he said as he picked up a Pulse Rifle, "there may be more geth behind that door." As he said that, he pointed to the door while handing the Pulse Rifle to Michael. "If so, then they'll have heard those shots."

"Then let's get ready to party," Michael said as he readied his new gun. "Chief, Arcee, you two take point. Sharp shot, Savant, you'll be providing support. "Azrael, Rogue and I will take up the rear. We hit them fast and we hit them hard."

As Arcee and John took their positions by the door, Garrus and I readied our Omni-tools with the necessary anti-tech upgrades: Overload, Dampening, and Hacking. Everyone else prepared by bringing out their weapons and aiming them at the door. "On my mark," John spoke with authority.

A few seconds passed. "Mark!"

We immediately burst into the room, coming face to face...

...with a nearly empty room, its only occupant being a single indvidual. Said individual was simply standing around, obviously waiting for us to enter. Pryde then took notice of us and smiled. "It's about time you showed up. We were beginning to think you'd never come."

"You wanna blame someone, blame th' welcoming committee ya left outside," Marie said sarcastically. "They sure know how to make a gal feel welcome, don' they?"

Pryde chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I admit that while they may not be the brightest bulbs, they sure can follow orders."

From behind her mask, Marie scowled. "Ah bet so. You wouldn' have been th' one who gave th' orders ta have 'em stand guard, were ya, Kitty?"

Upon hearing that name, "Kitty's" smile immediately dropped as she became stiff as a board. A murderous frown soon took its place. "What did you call me?" she asked with both anger and curiosity. The others around her simply looked at each other in confusion, none of them apparently knowing that their boss went by that nickname Marian bequeathed onto her.

"Come on now, Kitty," Marie said as she brought her hood back. She unlatched the locks on her helmet, then slowly took it off. As her hazel, white-streaked locks feel free, she continued "Do ya really need ta see me ta know it's me?"

Surprise once more took hold of Kitty's face as she gazed upon Marie. "Rogue?" she uttered in shock. "Is that...really you?"

"Th' one an' only," she replied, her arms slightly spread out.

Garrus looked back and forth between the two of them, curiosity etched on his face. "I guess they know each other, huh?" he asked no one in particular.

"More than just know," Michael responded. "I knew I recognized you from somewhere. You're Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, also known as Shadowcat of the X-Men."

Kitty Pryde (or Shadowcat, or whatever she's called) turned her attention to the young SPECTRE with shock and suspicion. "So, the bosses were right. You do know more than you're letting on, if you even know who the X-Men were."

"You have no idea  **what**  I know," he responded snidely. "What I  **don't**  know, however, is why the hell you're on the Dark Hand's payroll. Mind explaining that?"

"I have to agree," Malak said as he chose to join the conversation at this point. "Why would you be working with them, miss Pryde? They're complete monsters!"

"Shows what  **you**  know," Pryde said with a sneer. "Yes, they've done terrible things. But there must always be people who are willing to make the hard choices for the good of the galaxy."

"Is that what you call kidnapping innocent people and torturing them?" Garrus spat out with venom. "Keeping them in living conditions unfit for even a varren? Killing them in cold blood?!  **How in the name of the spirits is that shit for the greater good?!** "

"It wasn't," she answered. "It was the actions of a rogue group, one that we quickly eradicated as soon as you rescued the surviving victims.

"I'll admit, there are those in the Dark Hand that are bent," continued Kitty, "but the actions of a few do not account for the actions of the entire group. Despite whatever you may think, we're not the bad guys."

The way she said it, I almost felt like I believed her words. But one look at Michael and Marian's body language told me that they weren't buying what Kitty Pryde was selling, so neither was I. But Pryde…she was so convinced that what she was doing was for the good of the galaxy, that she was blind to the idea that those she trusted the most were corrupt. But I wouldn't be fooled by her beliefs, and neither would those who suffered at these bosh'tet's hands.

"If that's true," I began with suspicion, "then why are you here, guarding the facility that Stryker was using to  **torture**  Cortana? The very same facility that the  **geth**  are using as their FOB in this  **damned incursion?!"**

"As well as working with Stryker, the same bastard that tried to wipe out every mutant just because they existed?!" Marie added furiously. Upon hearing that last part, Pryde looked away in shame, unwilling to answer her once-comrade's question.

"As I said," Kitty continued to defend, "someone needs to make the hard choices. And trust me, allying with Saren and his goons, no matter how temporarily, was a hard choice to make."

 **"Bullshit!"** Michael yelled with righteous indignation.  **"Any**  help that Saren gets makes it that much easier for him to bring back the Reapers. You help Stryker, then you're helping Saren, and that'll end up with all of us getting screwed in the end!"

She scoffed in response, her eyes once more filled with confidence. "Do you honestly think that the Dark Hand would even  **let**  Saren and Stryker bring back genocidal machines? Trust me, they're not going to stand by and let that turian bastard succeed. All he has on his side are synthetic soldiers and a Reaper warship, and as soon as we find a way to control-"

"Sovereign isn't a Reaper warship, you  **idiot! SOVEREIGN'S AN ACTUAL REAPER!"**

Michael's outburst, and the words that comprised it, hung in the air like the stench of rotting meat. The room was so silent, a pin drop could be heard from on end of the room to another. I stared at him, trying to make sense of what he just said.

Sovereign, the ship that Saren was using as his mobile command center, the hyper-advanced starship with untold power, was not the remnant of a long-thought ended synthetic race according to Michael. Sovereign  **was a member** of said synthetic race.

A race of synthetics believed to have wiped out the Protheans  **fifty thousand years ago** , leaving barely any trace of the once-great civilization behind. And there were more of those... **things**  out there?

If he was right, and that there were more of those things out there, then I wasn't nervous at that moment, or even anxious. I was petrified.  **Terrified**. I could barely think about it, barely process it even as I worked it out in my head.

I could still remember the day Saren captured me on the Citadel, after I escaped Jacobus and went to Fist. As I was brought onto Sovereign, I felt a feeling of dread, like I was being watched everywhere I went. I felt like the entire ship was somehow  **acknowledging** my presence. That's because it was. It was  **sentient**.

I was standing inside a synthetic titan. A being that could destroy a dreadnought with ease. A god incarnate.

**And there were more out there.**

Suddenly, I felt like I had been roped into a battle that I had no hope of ever winning. Looking at everyone else, they seemed to more or less agree with me.

"What?" she asked incredulously. "Sovereign's a... **what?!** "

"You heard me," the increasingly mysterious and suspicious SPECTRE replied. "Sovereign is a Reaper, a synthetic monstrosity that wipes out entire races. And indirectly or not, you five are helping Saren in bringing the rest of them back." He crossed his arms and continued "Knowing that, what are the five of you going to do now?"

With uncertainty in her voice, Kitty said "How do I know you aren't lying to save yourselves?"

_"Oh, don't worry. I can verify his statement to be true."_

A blast of energy zoomed right past Kitty Pryde, hitting the floor between her and us. The resulting explosion and shockwave threw us backwards and off our feet. I slammed into John, who cushioned the impact with the wall right behind me. Though not much, as his armor left me with aching area that I knew were going to be sore tomorrow.

Regaining focus from the blast, I looked right at a synthetic that was at least a foot taller than John, and human in shape. Its yellow eyes, which were gazing right at us, seemed to burrow straight through to my soul. It began to walk forward as it lowered its right arm, which was smoking from firing the beam. Upon closer look, I remembered seeing this... **thing**...before.

 _"And now that you know,"_  Stryker continued,  _"I'm afraid that all of you must die. No hard feelings, but Saren doesn't want anyone knowing the truth. At least, not yet, anyway."_

"You think...you can betray the Dark Hand...and get away with it?" Pryde groaned out, venom in every word. "You're even crazier...than I remember..."

 _"Whereas you haven't really changed much either, miss Pryde,"_  Stryker retorted. "I'm surprised I didn't recognize you sooner. Then again, agents of the Lord barely take the time to bother with agents of the Devil."

Natasha looked at her in surprise. "You two already knew each other?!" she inquired in disbelief.

"Yeah. Except he was tryin' to kill Kitty an' I just 'cause we were different from others," Marie added. "Self-hatin' hypocrite."

_"I have already paid for what I am, miss D'Ancato. Now, it is time for you and miss Pryde to do the same. If you would be so kind as to hand over Cortana, I can at least promise all of you a quick death."_

A shot rang out as one of Stryker's eyes shattered. He screamed in agony and writhed in pain, falling onto the ground as he clutched his non-functional eyepiece. I had to admit, though, that I was aiming for the other eye. "The only thing you'll be getting is an ass-kicking, you  **bosh'tet!"**

"I second that!" Michael added as he took out  _Morning Glory_. He turned to face the Five Elements and continued "So, how's about we work together and take this guy down a peg or two? After that, we can get back to killing each other. Deal?"

Pryde looked to Stryker, still lying down in pain, then looked back to him. "Deal."

He grinned. "In that case... **BOOYAHKASHAAA, MOTHERFUCKER!"**

Michael started the fight off by firing two rounds from  _Morning Glory_ , aimed right at the bosh'tet's chest as he began to get up. The explosions sent him sprawling back as Michael threw a Warp at his head.

Stryker quickly recovered and got back up, just in time to block a shot from John and Pryde. As he focused on them, Garrus opened fire from behind, putting Stryker on the defensive. This was the kind of opening that Arcee took advantage of, as she rushed up to the synthetic and unleashed a flurry of blows that sent him crashing into the wall.

Unfortunately, I was right next to him, meaning the impact threw me to the ground. I managed to recover quickly, but found myself face-to-face with Stryker, quite literally. I tried to run, but he managed to grasp me at the speed of lightning, hoisting me in front of him. "Lay down your arms," he bellowed, "or I shall send this one back to her maker!"

Everyone froze as soon as I came into their sights. Out of everyone there, Michael glared at Stryker with the most fury in his eyes. Malak, in turn looked upon Stryker with disgust. "You call yourself a man of God, yet you use a defenseless woman as a human shield? You're nothing but a murderer, a traitor, and a coward."

"I care not what you think of me, but I will survive. It is my holy mission to serve the Lord's servants."

Malak snorted. "If Christianity sees genocidal machines as angels, then I'm glad I'm of Islamic faith."

The devout madman seemed to glare at my scythe-wielding teammate coldly as his grip tightened. Then he chuckled darkly.  _"I suppose it makes sense that a heathen would stand in the way of one who walks the path of righteousness,"_  he responded.  _"Though not even one of false faith can hope to stop what is to pass."_

"I beg to differ," Malak countered. "When one possess true faith, anything is possible. When I joined this team, I swore before Allah that I would protect my comrades from all who would wish them harm. That includes megalomaniacs with delusions of grandeur." As he took out  _Soul Breaker_ , he continued "It is my faith in Allah that will guide me, as I undertake my jihad- my duty- against those who would bring about the deaths of trillions upon trillions of innocents, simply because they 'believe' their actions are right!"

 ** _"My actions are right, you damned fool!"_** Stryker yelled.  _ **"It is my actions that will ensure that all of God's children, that all of humanity will survive! It is God's will that I do this!** But  **you**...you would doom your own kind to extinction. And for your sin, you shall watch as this  **harlot**  dies."_ To emphasize his point, he tightened his grip to the point where I cried out in pain. I began to understand why Pryde, Marie and Michael were intimidated by Stryker. There was just no reasoning with him: he was as extreme in his beliefs as I could've thought possible. If he believed that it was right, he would massacre an entire planet.

"Stryker," Michael said with clenched teeth, "let me give you the same threat I gave to your associate Fist before  **he died** : if you so much as  **scratch**  her mask, you're a dead man."

"And I can make sure it's a slow death," Arcee added venomously.

The bosh'tet gave out a chuckle, which sounded more menacing than it would if he were an organic.  _"You two care about her mask getting scratched?"_  he asked nonchalantly.  _"Then **you**  can hold onto it."_

And just like that, I knew what he was going to do, which immediately sent my heartbeat into overdrive. But I couldn't do anything about it.

Because in one quick motion, he ripped off my helmet and hood, and tossed it toward them.

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

Time seemed to slow down as my heart went into overdrive.

Tali, as you all knew by now, is a quarian. A race of beings who live on starships, due to the geth having driven them from Rannoch, their home planet. And they've been living on these ships for 300 years.

Living in an environment with controlled elements for so long has left the entire quarian population with weakened immune systems. This is even more so for the quarians who still lived on the Flotilla after allying with humanity. As a result, quarians usually have an allergic reaction when exposed to the environment a little.

To have yourself so immediately and fully exposed to the elements and environment, more often than not teeming with bacteria, is pretty much a death sentence.

As soon as Stryker ripped off Tali's helmet, the hood still attached, I had only one thought:  **KILL STRYKER!**

With a scream that would make even they most bloodthirsty of krogan cower in fear, I charged at Stryker, leaped into the air, ignited my golden biotics and reared my fist back.

The metal bastard didn't even have time to react accordingly. In fact, I'd say he was only able to react in one way: a mixture of surprise and confusion at his situation. By the time he could even process what was going on, my fist was firmly planted within his synthetic chest cavity. As soon as I yanked out my arm, his grasp on Tali became non-existent.

She fell unceremoniously onto the floor as Stryker slid backwards onto the wall. I didn't even pay any attention to him, my mind was solely focused on her.  **"ARCEE, GET HER HELMET ON! HURRY!"**  As soon as the words left my mouth, the femme grabbed the purple-fronted helmet from the ground and began to sprint over here.

Suddenly, time began to slow down for me. I began to think thoughts that I shouldn't have.  _Arcee wasn't getting over here fast enough. It's too late. Tali's going to die, there's nothing we can do. She's going to die._

_And it's all my fault._

When she finally got over here after what seemed like an eternity, I took the helmet from her and turned Tali over, so that I could place it back on her in the hopes that we had a chance of saving her. Then I saw her face.

Her skin, the pigment of light lavender, gave color to a face that, while human-shaped, was practically angelic. There was not a single scar that marred her beautiful face, framed by her pixie cut obsidian hair, which only succeeded in making her even more beautiful. She began to open her eyes, which-upon opening-I noticed were faintly glowing. Faintly glowing an electric blue, as she had synthetic eyes.

 **Geth**  eyes.

Upon seeing them, I took notice of her ears. Upon either side of her head, there were two listening devices in her ears. At first glance, one could mistake them either for hearing aids or earphones. But upon closer inspection, I realized that they weren't in her ears. They  **were**  her ears.

I didn't make a single sound as I gazed at her, completely in shock at what I was seeing. Tali was having a similar reaction, as she had realized that she was looking at me without her tinted visor between us. We stayed like that for what seemed like a long time, until I uttered in a tone barely above a whisper "Tali?"

Her eyes then widened in horror, as she finally understood the situation she was in. She yanked herself from my arms and turned away, burying her face in shame. She began to tremble as she said "Don't l-look...please, don't l-look at- oh, keelah, this is a nightmare. Wake up, wake up, wake up. Please d-don't..."

My heart wrenched into a knot as I watched her falling apart. It was clear that she never wanted anyone to know that she had those cybernetics implanted in her, that much was obvious. With her secret out, she was now on the verge of a mental breakdown. Her voice was shaking so much that she was on the verge of crying.

I didn't know then how she got those implants, and I didn't care. All I could think of was how much pain she must have gone through-both physically and mentally-when she got them. Especially the pain of how she thought others would treat her when they discovered… **this**. And now, all that pain was gushing out, threatening to tear her asunder.

"No, n-no, this isn't real, not happening, nononononononono. Don't look- not a monster...not a freak...please, don't look..." The pain in her voice grew with every word she spoke.

At the moment, all I could do to bring her back to us- to comfort her- was a single action: I walked up to her, got down on my knees, and hugged her.

It wasn't the kind of hug you give to friends, or the kind of hug you give to a family member or lover. This was a comforting hug. The kind of hug you give to someone who needs help, the kind where you let that person know that everything will be alright. As Tali froze at the embrace, I said to her "It's alright, Tali. It's alright."

She was quiet. For those first five seconds, she was as quiet as death. Then she began to shake even harder, followed by sobbing that tore at the soul. She then wrapped her arms around me, and simply let go.

Tali simply cried her heart out in that room. She cried and cried, tightening her hold around me as if I would disappear if she let go. The whole time, I kept saying over and over "It's okay, Tali. It's okay. It's okay," even as I came close to tears myself. But I stayed there with her. I stayed as she let out all her sorrow, at having found someone who could still treat her like a person even after learning about what she was.

And we stayed there until she couldn't cry anymore.

She finally managed to calm down after what seemed like hours, and I helped her get back up. As we stood up straight, we finally noticed that everyone was looking at us, each of them reacting in different ways. Kitty and Marie each shared a look of pain and understanding. Garrus, Malak and John both seemed sobered by the sight, and each gave me a nod of approval, obviously thinking I did the right thing. Arcee, however, each seemed to have a look of understanding and acceptance, though Arcee's seemed to have a bit more pain to it.

With everyone staring at us, Tali looked down as she replaced her helmet, securing the locks as I continued to hold her in a protective manner. As soon as she placed her hood back on, she quietly said "S-sorry about that. I...I just-"

Kitty held up her hand, which silenced Tali mid-sentence. With an understanding smile she said "It's okay." Those two words spoke volumes to us. It showed me that even though Katherine Pryde, Shadowcat of the X-Men, was working with the Dark Hand for God-knows-what...she was still a good person at heart. Figuring that out, I smiled in return and gave her a nod in return.

A brief moment of quiet later, Garrus asked "So...what happens now?"

I suppose that was the question on everyone's minds at that moment. What  **would** happen now? Pryde took on a scowl and answered "First, we make sure Stryker is really dead. Then we each leave this place peacefully, no questions asked."

"I doubt your superiors will like that, ma'am," the SPARTAN uttered.

Kitty cringed a bit, then muttered "Yeah, especially Omega." I didn't know who Omega was at the time, and I sometimes wished that I never did. "We'll just tell them that you guys got away while we finished off Stryker," she continued. "Besides, my bosses would  **really**  want to know that Saren and his allies are now to be considered traitors to the Dark Hand's cause."

I frowned as she said that. "Yeah, well, when you deal with a traitor, you should always expect to be betrayed. That should be a rule for crying out loud!" I exclaimed in a chastising tone. "Especially for a barefaced!" That last one surprised Garrus quite a bit, knowing that I knew that much of turian culture.

"Saren was one of the Dark Hand's top agents," Kitty replied. "He was also the most loyal. He fully believed in what the Dark Hand stood for, as do we. He would never betray us like that, unless he believed that it was the only way to achieve his agenda. It doesn't matter, though. If what you said about Sovereign- about the Reapers- is true, than Saren is a danger to both my organization and yours. The Dark Hand will use all its resources to hunt him down and put him down."

"So you'll be helping us?" Malak inquired, a surprised look on his face.

"To an extent. I doubt we'll just be all buddy-buddy and work together, though."

"Fair enough," Arcee said.

"Bad news, boys and girls," Cortana said as she appeared. "It looks like Stryker uploaded himself to some other location. Most likely Sovereign itself."

"Damn it," Pryde muttered as she slapped herself on the forehead. "How could I have forgotten he could  **do**  that?!"

"We'll get him eventually," John said reassuringly. "He can't run forever." Pryde calmed down a bit at that, and I silently agreed. Somehow, I just  **knew**  that Stryker would meet his end soon. Until then, it was business as usual.

As we turned around to leave, Marie went over to Pryde and hugged her. "Take car o' yerself, Kitty."

Pryde smiled softly. "You too, Rogue."

And with that, we were gone.

* * *

_Normandy, hours later:_

* * *

We filed our mission report, we went over what happened, and we left. The whole meeting, though, I never really paid much attention to it. As everyone else left, only Garrus, Malak, Marie, John, Cortana, Arcee, and myself remained in the room. We didn't say a word for about ten minutes before Garrus broke the silence. "So what now?"

"What do you mean?" Cortana inquired.

"What I mean," the turian ex-cop continued, "is what do we do about what we know? About Tali's... **condition**."

I turned to him and said "I'll tell you what we do. We don't tell  **anyone**  about this. Not even our teammates."

"You want to lie to them?" Tali asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Think about it, Tali," Marie started. "You're a quarian with geth machinery as a part of yourself. Your eyes, your ears. Hell, ya even admitted ta havin' a geth  **arm**  attached ta ya!"

"Now, take this into account: the galaxy is pretty much at war with the geth. If everyone finds out about your secret, you could be killed by someone who would think you're a geth agent. Or worse, you could be captured and experimented on by a clandestine group, all in the hopes of gaining an advantage against the geth. Is that really what you want?"

Even though we couldn't see her face, I had the feeling that Tali seemed to pale at that, imagining the horrors of such an existence. I could feel my stomach churn in anger as I thought of the idea of somebody performing experiments on her, experiments that could kill her. And those people would simply call her something like a "stepping stone on the path to victory over the geth" or some bullshit like that.

"Trust me, none of us are comfortable with the idea of lying to our allies," Cortana said reassuringly, "but we're not going to risk your own well being by simply exposing what you have."

After a moment of thinking, Tali looked up and nodded. "Okay."

"So it's agreed," Arcee said. "The seven of us keeps this a secret. We tell  **no one** about this, unless we all agree to it and are sure we can trust them."

We all nodded in agreement. At that point, I muttered "One more secret for me to keep."

" _But it doesn't have to be the only secret you guys can keep."_

Anyone else who would have heard a voice come out of nowhere, they would've been turning here and there trying to find the source. Whether it's good or not, I seem to have gotten used to the sudden appearance of Hikari's voice popping into my head.  _What are you talking about this time, Hikari?_

" _Only that the weights of your past don't need to be held only by you. You can trust others to help carry the load."_  And with that, the mysterious being was silent.

As soon as she said that, I began to think about what she meant. It didn't take long to figure it out. But as I considered it, I wondered if the others would accept me, even if they knew the truth.

And then I remembered how we accepted Tali.

I knew I would have to tell them. And I promised myself that I would tell them soon. This group first, at the very least.

I just hoped they would come to accept me, even if only as an ally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems the truth is about to come out soon! How will the others respond to Michael's secret? How will the others react to Tali's secret? How did she get geth implants in the first place? Stay tuned to find out (at least ONE of these secrets)!
> 
> By the way, the origin of how Tali received these implants will come soon, just not TOO soon. Until then, stay frosty!
> 
> P.S., you get three guesses as to what song Michael was dancing to in the vid. Here's a hint: He believes he's sexy.
> 
> Finally, NO FLAMES, OR ELSE THOSE WHO LEAVE FLAMES BEHIND WILL BURN!
> 
> This is ShepardisaBOSS, signing out!


	15. Vs. Agent Omega, Round 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! THIS STORY IS BACK, BABY!
> 
> Sorry I took so long with updating this. Life and all, yo know? Not that it's been bad or anything, but it's been keeping me busy. I kinda needed to get back in the groove a bit. Oh well, now that I'm back, I might as well get on with it.
> 
> Plus, I've been having quite a bit of fun with my Multiverser stories. Especially considering that they're going to be leading up to this story. I'm going to have quite a bit of fun with that. But before we go any further, I'd like to get this out of the way:
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING MENTIONED FROM ANY AND ALL FRANCHISES MENTIONED IN THIS FANFICTION! THOSE BELONG TO THE ONES WHO ARE THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS OF THE FRANCHISES!
> 
> Finally, I would like to give thanks to my good friend VindictiveDunc, the author who started the Multiverser fanfictions. He was a great help with fleshing out the plot of this chapter, so thanks again, dude!
> 
> Anyway, time to get this show on the road!
> 
> GERONIMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

_Michael's POV_

* * *

Well, that mission could've gone better.

And by that, I mean it could've gone without Tali having to go through what she did back there.

Seriously, when Tali realized we could see what's behind her mask, I thought she was going to have a mental breakdown. She might've very well have if I didn't step in to calm her down. Plus, I guess we were lucky that the others with us back there were more understanding.

Still, even if some of us knew the truth, Tali was not going to be entertaining the idea of showing her...upgrades...to anyone else anytime soon. Hell, I wouldn't either if I were in her shoes.

...

...

...

_'...But that just raises another question: how did she get those implants? I mean, it's not like there are many places that would want to implant someone with parts of a synthetic race that the rest of the galaxy feared._

_'At least, I hoped not._

_'You know what, I'm not gonna think about that right now. What I do need to think about and act on, is finding and talking to Tali. After everything she just went through, I'm pretty sure she needs a friend.'_

It took me a while, but I eventually found her. She was on Deck 3 in her room, talking to Arcee. I wouldn't have guessed. I mean, from what I could tell during their interactions, Tali always seemed a bit uncomfortable around Arcee, like she was trying to tolerate her.

Thinking about Arcee, I began to feel a bit uncomfortable. Ever since she kissed me on Rayingri, I've been having flashes from my past. A drive through the roads of Nevada. Sitting with her on top of a building, sharing a drink under a starlit night. Going to a club with her...the same club I made a complete ass out of myself in.

Our first kiss.

...Our first time.

The more I thought about those times, the more times I remembered. The more I remembered, the more the nervous thumping in my heart grew when I thought of those times. After a while, I had come to realize the truth.

I had fallen in love with Arcee all over again.

And there lay the problem. I had those same feelings whenever I was with Tali, also. At first, I tried to ignore it, that it was simply a desire to keep her safe. But I couldn't deny it anymore after Solcrum. I was in love with Tali, as well.

_'I don't know what to do. I mean, I love both of them. But I can't just up and ask them both to be with me. Especially since Arcee and I were... **are**  already together. And I always loved her, ever since our first date in Nevada (kinda ironic, when I think about it). I love the look in her eyes whenever she teases me. The feel of her when we ride through the road. The feel of her lips on mine. The indomitable spirit that burns in her, refusing to give up. The natural confidence she gives off._

_'But I love Tali as much as I do Arcee. Ever since our... **unexpected**  meeting on Eden Prime, I've always felt different around her. The way my heart flutters when I hear her laugh. The way she lights up when working on the drive core. The feel of her body whenever I hold her close to me. The way she carries herself when she carries a shotgun (hell, anyone would probably feel confident with a shotgun in their hands)._

_'I love them both. But I can't have both. ***sigh***  Universe, if you can hear me, help me out why don't you? At least one time.'_

"Hey you two," I greeted, trying to hide my inner turmoil with a smile. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's...about as alright as it can be right now, Michael," Arcee answered. "That wasn't the best situation for anyone to be in."

"Yeah, I hear that," I nodded grimly. "But is there anything I can do you, Tali? I feel like if I don't do something, I'm gonna go insane."

"...I could just use some company right now. That's all," she quietly told me.

Nodding, I sat down next to her, with Arcee on the other side. Obviously, they'd been talking about something beforehand.

"Soooo..." I started, gaining their attention. "Was there something you two were talking about that I just interrupted? Because I'm getting the feeling there was."

They both started to fidget as soon as I mentioned it. Whatever it was, it seemed they were unsure as to whether or not to fill me in on what it was exactly. "Come on, girls. If it makes you feel better, then I promise, whatever it is you have to say won't leave this room."

They looked at each other, and Arcee nodded. "...You," was all Tali said.

"Oh, me, huh? I s-"

...

...

...

...Yeah. It took me a moment to try and process that. After coming back to my senses, I cleaned my ears out and asked "I'm sorry, what?"

"We were talking about you, Michael," Arcee explained. "At first, it was about the...y'know. But, then one thing led to another and we came clean about somethings."

_'Oh, I don't think I like where this is going. Universe, you are seriously being a dick right now. Please stop with the dickery, **right now!'**_

"Uh, and these things are?" I asked cautiously. The two beauties looked to each other with a small smile (I assume Tali was smiling under her helmet), then back at me.

"How incredible you are..." Tali explained.

"The things you've done for us and others..." Arcee continued.

"How heroic and dashing you are..."

"How jealous she's been of me, apparently..."

"How lucky she is..."

"And how much you've come to mean to us both," they finished together.

I stared wide eyed at the two.  _'Are- are they serious right now? This...this is actually happening right now?!'_

"I-I...Wow. I didn't know you felt that way," I stuttered. "I mean, I know  **you**  did," I gestured to Arcee, "after our...reunion...on Rayingri, but  **you?"**  I gestured to Tali. Shaking my head, I continued "No idea."

The two of them chuckled a bit. "Of course you didn't," Arcee replied with a soft smile. "You've always had a tendency to be unaware of the effect you have on women. Hell, the only way you'd even know most of the time is if they tell you to your face."

"I've always had a- Waitwaitwait!" I stopped myself. "Back up a bit. This has happened  **before?!"**

"For now, let's just say," Tali explained with a playful tone, "that apparently you're quite popular with the ladies."

I struggled to process this. Me? Popular with the ladies?!  **ME?!**  "But-but...I...HOW?! WHY?!"

"Michael," Arcee said with a warm look in her cobalt eyes. "You're a really great guy. Of  **course**  women are going to fall for you." She sighed a bit. "And to answer your question: yes. This  **has**  happened before."

If I was ever dumbstruck before this very moment, this moment blew any previous moments out of the water. By far.  **"A-And you've handled it this well before?!"**

Arcee placed a hand on my mouth. "You don't need to yell," she said with a touch of sternness. "And no. At first, it was a very strange thing for me to get accustomed to sharing you with other girls." Her warm smile returned. "But, you mean too much to me. When I'm with you, I feel whole. When I thought you were dead, I thought I'd grown a hole in my chest that could never be filled. And when I found you again, back on Rayingri, I could feel everything coming back in full." She gently placed my hands in hers. "I don't know what the future holds for me, and I don't care. As long as I'm with you, I'm content. Even if it means I have to share you."

I didn't speak for a bit.

"And, and you Tali?" I asked the lovely quarian engineer.

"...Michael, you're one of the only people I've met on my pilgramige that has ever treated me like an actual person," she said with a growing love in her voice, her eyes looking straight into mine. "I've seen how you care for my safety. And how it angers you when people hurt me, or anyone else. How could I not fall for you? I admit, I'm not exactly keen on the idea of sharing you with someone else," she said while glancing at Arcee, "but if it means I can be with you, I could share you with  **Xen**  for all I care."

"Michael, please. I know this must be strange, but we can make this work," Arcee pleaded. "There's no reason that we can't both love you and get along. Please."

I didn't speak for what seemed to me like the longest time. I mean, here were two girls- no, two  **women** \- two beautiful, kind hearted, and strong women, both in love with me. What's more, they wanted to share me with each other. Normally, this sort of thing would be a straight guy's dream come true. But these two were my team mates, my friends. And Tali, especially, was very dear to me, ever since I rescued her from that ship on Eden Prime. I didn't want to have to force her into a situation that she may come to regret later.

...And then I remembered the ways Tali looked at me, the way her posture changed whenever I entered the same room as her, the way she seemed to focus on whatever I said. At first, I had written it off as her simply being a good friend. But know that I think back, I can see the truth. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya is head over heels in love with me.

And Arcee. I remember how she acted when we met on the Cortana rescue mission. The way her voice quivered with hope. The overflowing joy in her eyes at seeing me. The unrestrained passion in the kiss she gave me. The love in her embrace. She was in love with me, ever since we had met years ago in this galaxy. She was broken when she thought I was dead. And now that she found me, I had the feeling that she would never let me go again.

Arcee and Tali were both in love with me. They loved me enough that they were willing to share me with each other (and if my assumption is correct, with other girls). And with that, I made my decision. One that would change my life once again.

"...Okay."

And just like that, the two beauties before me came forward and held me tightly and tenderly at the same time. As if they were too afraid to let go and realize this moment never happened. "Thank you," Tali whispered softly. Her body trembled in joy along with Arcee. Pulling back, Tali said "I promise, you won't regret this."

I laughed. "I think it should be  **me**  worrying about the two of  **you**  regretting this. Especially since it'll take me some getting used to."

Arcee nudged me playfully. "You managed once. You can do it again."

"Heh, yeah. I guess so." Then a thought struck me. "Out of curiosity, counting yourself, how many girlfriends did I have before I lost my memory?"

"I have to admit, I'm a bit curious myself," Tali added.

Arcee thought for a moment. "Counting myself? If I remember correctly, over sixty girlfriends. And you loved each of us with all your heart."

...

...

...

...

...

...

"...Keelah."

And just like that, my eyes rolled into the back of my head as the ground rushed up to meet my face.

* * *

_Twenty-one Minutes Later..._

* * *

Stars danced in my vision as I began to wake up, complimented by a sore face. "Ow, my head."

"You okay?" Tali asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Ugh, jeez, I had the craziest dream that you and Arcee said you loved me. Even crazier, you agreed to share me with each other. Crazier still, Arcee said that before I lost my memories, I had about sixty girlf- Wait a minute. Why are you in my room, Tali?" After refocusing my eyes, I took in my surroundings. The surroundings of Tali's room. With Tali and Arcee present. "Oh my Lord in Heaven, that wasn't a dream."

"Nope," my two new girlfriends said simultaneously.

With a sigh, I propped my head in my hand. "Well, I knew what I was getting into. I'm not backing out now that I've just started."

Arcee grinned. "There's the old Michael I fell for."

Grinning in return, I began to wonder. Wonder what I was like before I lost my memories. What I was like when I was with Arcee (and about sixty girls). And as I began to ask, the universe decided to cut in.  _"Attention all ground team, you're needed in the comm. room ASAP. Sounds like our resident asari managed to decode the map fraction we found."_

 _'Of course. Way to be a bitch, universe.'_  "Guess its back to the grindstone for us."

* * *

As we entered the room, Natasha looked our way and nodded. "Great that you could join us, you three. Now then, let's get down to business. Blue?"

"Um, yes. I managed to decode the part of the map Tali recovered from one of the geth outposts, thanks in no small part to Mr. Stark and Cortana."

"Technically, it was mostly J.A.R.V.I.S. and Cortana that did most of the heavy lifting," Tony interjected, "but yeah, I helped out."

"Of course, my apologies, J.A.R.V.I.S."

_"Apology accepted, Dr. T'Soni. Besides, it was a pleasure to work alongside Ms. Cortana."_

"Same to you. You really know how to make 'em, don't you Tony?"

The genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist simply shrugged. "I like to think that I'm just that good."

 _"Yes, you certainly prove that you were 'that good' during testing of the Iron Man suits, Mr. Stark,"_  J.A.R.V.I.S. dryly remarked.  _"Truly, you are an inspiration to all scientists and inventors everywhere."_

That got everyone in the room to laugh at Tony's expense. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up buddy."

"Getting back on track," Cortana interrupted, "Apparently there's more than one weapon mentioned in the data. And we found the location to one of them."

"Where is it?" Bronson asked.

She turned to face him. "Eden Prime."

At the mention of those two words, everyone fell silent. "Are you... **sure**  you guys read that data right?" I asked nervously.

"I am afraid we did," Liara answered with sympathy in her voice. "One of the weapons this map talks about is located on Eden Prime. Near the colony that found the beacon."

Ashley seemed to tense up as she recalled the attack. I followed right behind her, remembering the horror and grief in the Cerberus husk of Greta as she begged us to end her suffering, and the memories of Greta and her family before their untimely ends.

I swallowed hard, and looked up. "Legion, do the heretics have any other pieces of this map?"

_"Unfortunately, yes. It would stand to believe that the heretics could hypothesize other weapon locations from the parts they acquired."_

My gaze hardened. "How far are we from Eden Prime, Joker?"

_"About three hours."_

"Get us there in two. We are  **not** letting that barefaced bastard get his talons on this weapon." Getting up, I continued "Liara, Wrex, Marie, Chief, Cortana, Tali, Arcee, Ashley; you're all coming with me. Everyone else, you're with Natasha and Steve. Get ready for anything once we get down there."

* * *

_Two Hours Later..._

* * *

Man, when I said to get us here in two hours, I didn't think he'd  **actually**  be able to do it. Now I knew never to underestimate Joker when he's in the pilot's seat of a top-notch ship like the  _Normandy_.

I also knew he'd never let me live it down if I ever underestimated the guy.

We were dropped off about five miles out from the colony where my journey began. Natasha and Steve's team stayed behind to provide support if we needed any, while the rest of us marched onward to the facility. Ashley seemed like she was reliving some old ghosts, the way she gazed at the colony. I placed a hand on her sympathetically and said "They'll be okay. And when we find Saren, he'll pay for what he did. Both to your squad and to the colony."

With a smile, she nodded and said "Damn right he will. Its just...when I look at this place, I see a paradise that was spoiled by war. And the survivors...they'll be haunted by what happened for-"

"Ash," I interrupted sternly yet softly.

"Sorry. Just...promise me he'll hurt for this."

"I still have the bullet from that last clip," I said grimly. "It has Saren's name on it."

Sharing an equally grim nod, she and I rejoined the others, but not before I looked back.

Looking at the colony from where we were now, I had to admit, it was starting to look better now that everyone was starting to fix it back up. I only hope it doesn't get attacked again like in the third game, or-

_Snap!_

We froze in place, listening for whatever made that noise. Looking around slowly, I turned to face John.  _'Anything on your HUD?'_

 _'Yes, sir,'_  he replied back mentally. Shared telepathy sure did have its advantages.  _'Unknown life form fifteen feet North by Northeast of our position.'_

I nodded. Taking out my Desert Eagle, I aimed in the general direction and unloaded three rounds.  **"WHOEVER'S OUT THERE, LISTEN UP!"**  I yelled with seriousness.  **"THOSE WERE WARNING SHOTS! IF YOU DON'T SHOW YOURSELF RIGHT NOW, THE NEXT SHOT IS GOING TO BE IN YOUR KNEECAP!"**  As I said this, everyone else was looking at me with their jaws practically reaching the ground.

"Behold," Tali deadpanned to Arcee. "Our boyfriend, displaying all his skills in stealth."

"I said he had a way with  **women.**  I never said he had a way with  **subtlety."**

A few seconds later, the others turned to face my new girlfriends and said "Wait, your  **what?!"** simultaneously. For some reason, Marie seemed the most shocked out of everyone else.

I sighed. "I'll explain later. Right now, I believe our mystery guest is coming this way."

A moment later, an asari matron walked into view with her hands raised in a non-threatening manner. She skin appeared to be a violet-blue hue, with violet facial markings adorning her. She wore regular blue armor with white accents. It was what was on her right shoulder that I focused on. It was the symbol of the Special Tactics & Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel.

I immediately recognized her, and it didn't help me calm down one bit. If anything, it put me more on edge. "Mind telling me what a SPECTRE is doing on this colony?" Wrex asked her threateningly.

"I could ask you the same question," she retorted. "If it helps, I was sent here because I got some intel that suggested some unsavory people were looking around here for something. I came to investigate and put them down. Preferably in that order. How about you, rookie?" That last sentence was aimed at me.

I didn't trust her. Especially given who her business partner happened to be. However, she was a damn good biotic, and a decent fighter. That's something we could use on our side.

I holstered by Desert Eagle and held out my hand. "Michael Anderson, a.k.a. Atlas."

She took it and shook. "Tela Vasir. Pleasure to meet one of the first human SPECTREs, especially the son of my old drinking buddy Anderson. If I'm lucky, I might get you to sign my chest plate," she said with a suggestive smirk.

I admit, I was a bit thrown by what she said, but I managed to recover as quickly as it hit me. "Thanks for the offer," I said as I gestured to Tali and Arcee, "but I don't think they would appreciate it."

"Pity. Anyway, what brings you out here? I thought you were busy hunting down Saren."

"I still am," I replied. "Just taking a little detour, thanks to some data my team found at a geth outpost."

"Data that I'm not sure  **you**  need to know," Ash added with a scowl.

Vasir looked at each of us, then shrugged. "Fair enough. Though I think I found the reason why you're here-"

"Vasir! What the hell was that noise?! We-"

Two more figures stepped out of where Vasir came from, a man and a woman. Both human.

The man was Caucasian in skin tone. His green eyes had what looked like eyeliner accentuating them, with the bangs of his bright orange hair covering the right eye. He had a black bowler hat on his head, and wore a red-collared white suit with a grey scarf. He also wore long black pants, black shoes, and black gloves. Oddly enough, he also had a cane on his person.

The woman was actually quite stunning, especially with her dark skin mixing well with her mint green hair, cut in a straight fringe with two long locks on each side and two long locks on each side. Said hair perfectly framed her rather lovely face, which held tow dark-red eyes. She wore a thin exotic white top which showed off her shallow-cut, olive undershirt. She also wore white pants with brown chaps that went down to her calves, as well as a rather long-looking belt that was wrapped twice around her waist, which held a pouch and what looked like two flintlock pistols at the back.

The woman, I had no idea who she was. I can't say the same about the guy, though. I remember seeing him from back when I was in my old world. Granted, he was a character in a show, but right now, he was real.

With my anxiety rising again, I placed my hand back on my gun. "Roman Torchwick?" I asked silently, not really believing what I was seeing. Standing in front of me was one of the antagonists from _RWBY,_  an anime series from the internet, in the flesh. And working with Vasir.

_'Yeah, I **definitely**  can't trust her.'_

Torchwick and his mysterious friend turned to face me. For a moment, they appeared shocked. Then what happened next threatened to destroy my mind.

**"BOSS!"**

**"MICHAEL!"**

They broke out into smiles and ran towards me, then proceeded to grasp me in a two-person bear hug and knocking us to the ground. Laughing as though we were old friends.

Then the mint-haired woman pushed Torchwick off, turned me to face her, drew me into a hug, then kissed me right on the lips. With what felt like the same kind of passion that Arcee had when she kissed me.

...

...

...

...

...

...

_'...Come on brain, GET BACK TO WORK NOW! **PLEASE!'**_

For some reason, I felt like I could hear Hikari finally speak up again. And laugh her nonexistent ass of.

Which, as I later found out, she  **was.**

When she finally broke the kiss, I was left stunned silent. When I finally regained my senses, I noticed she was crying tears of joy as she held me close, her head buried in the crook of my neck. "Its you. Its really, really you." The way she said those words, it was as if she thought I...was...dead...

I turned my head to face the others, who all had their jaws reaching the ground (even John, surprisingly). Except for Arcee, who was smiling as if she were enjoying the moment. Noticing I was looking right at her, she nodded.

Well, that answered my unasked question. This person was one of the girls I was in a relationship with before I lost my memory.

Then I began to notice my back was hurting. "A whole year, I thought you were dead..."

The mysterious woman's grip tightened. "Um, excuse me-"

"A whole.  **Year."**

I started to have difficulty breathing. Roman noticed this and nudged her. "Uh, Emerald? I think he's-"

**"A WHOLE FUCKING YEAR?!"**

And then I swore I could feel my back break like a twig.

Dropping me, the now-named Emerald started punching the crap out of me.  **"YOU MADE ME-"**

*punch*

**"MADE US-"**

*punch*

**"CRY OUR EYES OUT-"**

*punch*

**"AND GRIEVE FOR YOU-"**

*punch*

**"JUST FOR ME TO FIND OUT-"**

*punch*

**"YOU WERE HIDING-"**

*punch*

**"FOR A WHOLE-"**

*punch*

**"FUCKING-"**

*punch*

**"YEAR?!"**

*punch*

*punch*

*punch*

And then, I could hear the mysterious male voice laugh his ass off.

Fucking douche.

* * *

After the others managed to pull Emerald off of my barely conscious self, I started to let the pain set in. And man, was there  **so much**  of it!

_'Today, I now know why Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And it wasn't even my fault!'_

_"I know!"_ Hikari exclaimed.  _"And it was **HILARIOUS!"**_

_'Why do you have to act like such a bitch?'_

_"Why do you set yourself up for shit like this?"_

_'...Touche.'_

_"Thank you. Anyway, here's some advice for you: first, start planting seeds of doubt. She's going to need them. Second, when you find the sword, just go with what the voice tells you."_

I nodded. Then I thought  _'Wait, what?'_

 _"Talk to you later!"_  I was about to retort, but then noticed Vasir sit next to me.

"Old girlfriend?" Vasir asked.

"Apparently," I responded tiredly.

"I feel sorry for you."

Looking at Emerald and Arcee, I couldn't help but think that she wouldn't be too mad with me soon. Then I looked at Vasir, and remembered what Hikari wanted me to do. I just hope I don't get myself killed.

"So, what  **really**  brought an agent of the Shadow Broker here?" She completely tensed up at that, her hand immediately going to her gun. "You take a shot, and you'll be hunted down for the rest of your life."

After a moment of weighing the risks, she slowly lowered her arm. "How did you know?"

"Let's just say that I have my sources." With a serious look in my eye, I continued "You ought to consider leaving his employment soon."

"And why the hell would I do that?" she asked with slight anger. "Because the Broker has given me damn good intel over the years. Intel that helped me save a whole lot of lives. If you want me to just betray him, you better have a damn good reason why."

I sighed. "Trust me, when 2185 comes around, you'll see why you should leave. For now, do what you have to do, but be sure to split two years after we stop Saren."

She stayed quiet after that. Then spoke up. "The Broker said that he recently picked up chatter from an unknown party, saying they found some artifact here. These unknowns sent someone to investigate and retrieve the artifact. I decided to bring along some new friends I made a few months ago in order to get there first."

"Emerald and Roman?"

"Bingo. How do you know them, anyway?"

"Well, as we established, Emerald was someone I was involved with before I fell into a year-long coma and lost most of my memories."

Her jaw dropped at that. "Seriously?"

"Yep. And Roman...from what I remember, he's a thief and pretty much a crime lord."

 **"Former**  crime lord, Boss," Roman said as he took a seat next to me. "Now, I work for you. At least, I used to before you pulled a year-long Houdini. And let me tell you, I had  **way**  more fun playing for the good guys than when I pulled off heists!"

I sat there in shock. Not making a single sound. Not even moving.

"Seriously?!"

"Yep!" I turned around to face Emerald, who had a cheerful grin on her, as if she  **didn't**  just recently try to punch me to death. "You really turned his life around when you found him. Mine too," she added softly, looking at the ground in nostalgia.

Chuckling, Roman continued "Isn't that the truth. Nowadays, I work not only as an infiltration expert, but also as one who acquires information and put it to good use. Like helping you and the gang bring down the bad guys."

"Which reminds me." As soon as Emerald said that, another punch was thrown at my arm.

"OW! The fuck?!"

 **"That**  was for leaving the rest of us behind when you went out with your new C-SEC pals," she said with a scowl. "I know you don't remember that, but you should've at least let us help. Instead, we were left wondering where you were and what you were doing. And when we thought you...thought you..." She tried to say more, but tears stopped her.

On instinct, I brought her into a tender hug which calmed her down. "I'm sorry," I said with sincerity. "I'm sorry I left you and the others behind. I'm sorry I made you all worry. And I'm so, so sorry that I couldn't come back afterwards." I cupped her chin and brought her eyes up to meet mine. "But I promise. As long as I live, I'll never leave you  **or**  the others ever again."

She smiled ruefully. "Don't make a girl a promise, if you know you can't keep it."

I returned her smile. "I won't."

A moment later, she got up and looked at the others. "Sooooo...I just got done talking with Arcee and the new girl to our group. Tali, if I remember correctly. Or as she goes by in the field, Savant."

I gulped nervously, not knowing how she would react.

"She seems nice. And I have got to admit, those hips just don't seem to stop. I think I'm going to like her."

Admittedly, I didn't expect her to react like that. "I, uh, take it you're used to this happening?"

She sighed. "Not at first. At first, I wasn't exactly someone willing to share with others, and tried to steal you all for myself."

"And failed," Roman interjected with a grin. A glare from Emerald shut him up.

"But I eventually got to know the others, and even befriended them. And, sorta fell for some of them," she admitted with a blush.

I started to imagine that, but then quickly got my head out of the gutters as a blush of my own formed. Roman simply chuckled. And Vasir looked at me in wonder. "By the goddess, you are one lucky son of a bitch. You know that, right?"

"That's what they say," I answered with a shrug.

The others walked up to us, still somewhat surprised at what happened not too long ago. "So, um, what do we do now?" Marie asked nervously.

I looked to Vasir, then to Roman and Emerald. "Well, I say that the more we have on our side, the better chances we have against whoever might decide to try and attack us. So I guess we're all going together. Blue, how far are we from the site?"

The young Prothean expert brought up the map fragment, then compared it to the modern map of Eden Prime. "According to this, about half of a mile west from this position."

I nodded. "Well then, let's head on out."

* * *

_Thirty-one minutes later..._

* * *

"Ugh, are we there yet?!" Wrex asked.

"No, we're not there yet," Vasir said calmly. However, I couldn't help but notice the slight tinge of annoyance lacing her voice. "We weren't there when you asked  **five**  minutes ago, we weren't there when you asked  **eighteen**  minutes ago, and if you ask again in a minute, the answer'll still be: We. Aren't. There. Yet."

...

...

...

...

"...When are we getting there, then?" the krogan mercenary asked with a mocking grin, exactly one minute later.

The asari SPECTRE turned to look at him. "You know what? I fucking hate you."

"Ditto," Emerald agreed. If you looked closely, you could see blood vessels on her forehead pulsating from irritation.

Marie turned to Liara. "Please tell me we're almost there. Ah think people're 'bout ready ta kill each other."

"Actually, we are now here."

 **"FINALLY!"**  Wrex and Vasir exclaimed, throwing their hands into the air to emphasize their point.

"Okay," Ashley said looking around, "where is it?"

Liara scratched her head in confusion. "That is...odd. According to these coordinates...we are directly on top of the entrance."

"Are you reading that right, ma'am?"

"I have to agree with her, Chief," Cortana said through his speakers. "We're directly on top of the entrance."

"So how do we get in?"

"Leave that to me," Roman said with a smirk. Then he clapped his hands together...

...and turned see-through. He then sank into the ground, saying "Won't take long." Then he disappeared.

And left most of us staring at where he once stood, trying desperately to process what we just saw. Which Ashley was kind enough to sum up in three words.

"What. The. Fuck."

"Okay," I said calmly, "so I wasn't the only one who saw that."

"Get used to it, gang," Arcee said calmly. She then muttered "Primus knows I have."

_'No words. I have none.'_

A few minutes later, the ground opened up, leaving us to slide down a slanted entrance all the way to the bottom, screaming all the way.

* * *

When I woke up, I found myself in what appeared to be an ancient temple, filled with pillars with intricate designs and murals depicting epic battles. The figures showed many races, but one stood out.

Protheans.

"Well, I guess we're in the right place," I groaned out.

"What was you're first clue?" Tali asked. "The ancient murals, or Blue going starry-eyed as she studies them?"

True enough, Liara was recording what was in this place while taking down notes simultaneously. Shaking my head, I called out "Don't ever change, Blue."

"You're all welcome," Roman said with a bow. I then walked up to him and bopped him on the head, telling him to warn us next time he does something like that. I also made a mental note to ask him about his little trick later.

"Atlas, Ah found something!"

Following Marie's voice, I entered a chamber at the far end of the room. It was even larger than the room we found ourselves in as we woke up, with a deep abyss filling the chamber. The only footing to be found was a bridge reaching into the middle of the chamber. "What is it, Rogue?"

Pointing forward, she said "Ah think Ah just found our weapon."

Looking into the middle of the chamber, I saw a single ray of light shining down on a pedestal. Said pedestal was holding what appeared to be a sword in a scabbard, completely wrapped up in an odd cloth and tied together with golden rope.

"Hey, guys! We found the weapon!" Everyone filed into the chamber soon afterwards, following us to the pedestal. As we got to the pedestal, I noticed an inscription that my Omni-tool translated:

_'Only those who hear my voice can wield me.'_

Wrex tilted his head. "A sword? One of the Prothean's most deadliest weapons is a sword?"

"Actually, this does not appear to be Prothean," Liara said as she studied it. "The design is all wrong. Plus, there is not a single sign of aging on this. Even the weapons of Protheans were found with rust and decay on them."

**"This is not a Prothean weapon, miss."**

Suddenly, a glowing figure appeared in front of us causing us to step back in alarm. It appeared feminine due to its voice, though was covered in a hooded cloak that looked like shining rubies. And oddly enough, the figure felt...familiar. Her voice was kind, and motherly. For some reason, I felt safe and drawn to her. And if the body language the others are showing indicates anything, they agree with me.

"What do you mean, its not Prothean?" John asked.

**"Exactly what I meant. This weapon was not forged by the hands of Protheans."**

Beginning to feel more at ease, I stepped forward. "So who did?"

The figure turned to me, and I swore I could feel her offer a warm smile.  **"They go by many names. Fate-changers. Dimension walkers. The Ultimate Gary Stus, others would generously name them,"**  she added humorously. A sentiment shared by the rest of us.  **"But the title they are most associated to is... _Multiverser."_**

"Multiverser? What the heck is that?" Ashley asked, being the first to shake off the humor from the Gary Stu bit.

**"They are beings of immeasurable power. With a mere thought, they can turn mountains into cities. They can recreate the laws of physics. They can even...bring back the dead."**

"By the goddess...you make them sound as though they are gods!"

The being chuckled at Liara's reaction.  **"Not exactly. But they are as close to godhood as mortals can get. But that is besides the point. I am *****"**

Arching an eyebrow, I tried cleaning out my ears. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that? I thought I heard something, but it was garbled."

"Garbled?" Tali asked. "Michael, she didn't even make a noise. All she did was try to mouth out her name."

"That's what I saw," Wrex added.

She sighed dejectedly.  **"It seems my voice is unable to truly reach you yet."**

"What does that even mean?" Vasir asked.

Arcee, Emerald, Roman, Marie, and John (and I'm guessing Cortana) slightly shook their heads. "It means, since Michael is the only one among us who could hear anything," Roman said as he looked at me and the figure, "he's the only one that ought to be able to wield that thing."

The figure nodded.  **"You are correct. He is the only one who can wield me. If he can manage to hear my voice."**

**_"Not that he'll ever get the chance, I'm afraid."_ **

Turning around to face the voice, we were met with a platoon of geth heretics made up of Troopers, Hunters, Rocket Troopers, and a few Primes. Standing at the front of the heretics was an imposing, humanoid figure in midnight blue armor. He held two tomahawks in his hands, and had two kukri knives strapped to his back. The helmet held two glaring red lights where the eyes should be, and a crimson Omega symbol dominating most of the face. The most unsettling thing about this...thing, was its armor. It looked similar to a Reaper. Hell, it even had images of a Reaper built into the armor.

But what really got me scared, was how Liara, Wrex and Vasir gained terrified expressions upon seeing this person. That is definitely not a good sign.

Shifting his head, the figure said  ** _"Like the armor? I made it from refined and purified Reaper technology. Gives me all the benefits, and none of the drawbacks."_**

"I'm sure that's fascinating," Emerald said sarcastically. She then brought out her weapons, which were pistols with long, curved blades built into them. "But I would rather like to know who you are, what you're doing here, and why you have geth behind you."

"Rather obvious, isn't it?" Wrex said as he aimed his Claymore, with a hint of uncertainty lacing his voice. "He's one of Saren's goons."

The figure chuckled, which only helped to send shivers down our spines.  ** _"Hate to burst your bubble, Jurassic Reject, but you have it the other way around. Saren works for_ us. _At least, he_ used  _to."_**

"Then how do you explain the geth?" Tali asked suspiciously.

I narrowed my gaze at that. "Because he's with  **them.**  The Dark Hand."

 ** _"Huh. You're smarter than we give you credit for, Michael. I'm impressed. Indeed, the Dark Hand managed to acquire quite a number of Saren's geth followers. Unfortunately, he only uses empty shells, so we had to improvise._ _But where are my manners?"_**  With an exaggerated bow, he continued  ** _"Allow me to formally introduce myself to you all. I am-"_**

"Terminus, Bringer of End," Liara breathed out in horror.

Chuckling, he said  ** _"Well, to tell the truth, I_ used _to go by that name, kid. Nowadays, I'm known as Agent Omega."_  **Pointing a tomahawk at me, he continued  ** _"And I'm here for_ his _head. So I offer this rather fair trade: give him to me, and you all go free."_**

"And what if we were to say no?" Vasir asked, aiming her Vindicator battle rifle at Omega's head. Despite the sureness in her voice, she was trembling as much as Liara.

 ** _"Well then, you'd die with him,"_**  he immediately said as though he were stating the weather.

***whistle***

***BOOM!***

A Rocket Trooper proceeded to explode into smithereens, its parts scattering everywhere.

The source of the shot came from Melodic Cudgel, the cane/firearm of Roman Torchwick. With its reticle raised and the barrel smoking, the former crime lord smirked before taking aim at Omega. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Another shot fired, though Omega managed to roll out of the way. The explosion, however, sent him sprawling to the ground and made many of the heretics follow suit.

Taking this opportunity, I took out  _Morning Glory_  and fired a shot at one of the Primes.  **"BOOYAHKASHAAAAA, MOTHERFUCKER!"**

**BOOM!**

I think it's safe to say hell broke loose at that point.

* * *

_Third-Person POV_

* * *

Emerald and Arcee charged forward, effortlessly dodging the geth's shots. Arcee then flicked her wrists, creating blue Omni-blades that ran from her wrists to her elbows. As Emerald shot their weapons out of their clutches, Arcee began using her blades to dismember and decapitate the mindless drones. The beautiful duo then proceeded to kick any nearby geth with enough force to knock them off the bridge.

Ashley, Wrex, and John, meanwhile, were busy using brute strength and plentiful/powerful firearms to their advantage. John and Ashley stood back to back, blasting anything that had a face like a flashlight. Throwing a grenade into a large group, they hit the deck in order to avoid shrapnel. The resulting explosion gave Wrex the chance to charge forward and attack the Prime, which was starting to make a beeline for Michael, Liara, Roman and Tali, who were bust fighting off a group of Hunters. Wrex managed to gain its attention with a Carnage shot, then slammed into it.

It came to a surprise for everyone when the Prime then grabbed Wrex, turned him upside down, and performed a piledriver on the red armored krogan. It then kicked Wrex straight into John and Ashley, making them grunt as they hit the ground. "Watch it!" Ashley yelled.

"You watch it!" replied a rather pissed off Wrex. As he got ready to try again, two flashes of blue slam into the Prime, knocking it flat on its back. Landing closely from where the Prime stood was Vasir and Marie, who were both glowing blue.

"Whew, Ah think that's the first time Ah evah used biotics like that," exclaimed the Southern belle.

"Not bad, for a rookie," Vasir said with a grin. "Next time, though, warn me before you grab me like that," she continued while throwing out a Warp.

"Sorry! Wasn't enough time to explain." As she said this, the Prime they attacked was starting to get up from behind, reaching towards the young mutant.

**"INCOMING!"**

Vasir and Marie rolled out of the way just as another shot from Melodic Cudgel knocked the Prime right back down. "Come on, you think those flashlights you guys have for faces would actually  **help**  you in this kind of area!"

"I think that these geth are easier to deal with than the ones from the outposts!" Liara exclaimed as she caught a few geth in a Singularity.

"Its probably because these are mindless drones," Tali hypothesized, blasting another geth in the face. "Because they aren't real geth, their minds cant form neural links. As a result, they're actually  **dumber**  than geth! They may as well be drones!"

Hitting another geth with a golden Warp, Michael said "Hey, way I see it, that makes things easier for us!"

**_"Yeah,_ they _may be easy to deal with..."_**

Suddenly, Omega was in front of him, rearing back for a punch.  ** _"But_ I'm _not."_**  Michael managed to activate his Omni-shield just in time to block the attack, but the force knocked him away from the others and into the pedestal, causing the blade to clatter to the floor in its scabbard.

Before Michael could get up, he was restrained by dark purple bonds of energy. Turning his gaze, he saw Agent Omega lowering his left arm, a glowing gem beginning to dim as he walked over to the young SPECTRE. Michael tried to activate his Omni-weapons, but Omega simply grabbed both wrists and squeezed, crushing both tools to bits and pieces.

 ** _"Why don't you sit this one out, Michael?"_** Raising his tomahawks, he calmly said  ** _"You look like you need some rest. Of the_ eternal _kind."_**

Suddenly there was a flash of light, soon followed by a scream of righteous fury.

**"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"**

Turning around, he managed to see the Prime that Roman shot before it slammed right into him, causing Omega to drop one of his tomahawks next to Michael. And as quickly as it happened, both of the figures to disappear into the abyss. Suddenly all eyes- even those of the mindless geth drones- turned and stared in shock at the sight before them.

A towering humanoid mech stood in the middle of the bridge, its frame moving up and down in a heavy breathing motion. Feminine in appearance, her armor was blue with black highlights. Her knees and elbows jutted out into points, as if they were blades built into the limbs. There also appeared to be wing-like objects on her back, though they were extremely small and not aerodynamic. Michael instantly recognized the mech through two familiar pieces.

1\. Her helm had three streaks of pink; two on each side, and one on top of her head. The middle streak seemed more like a small horn.

2\. Her optics were a warm, electric blue.

"A...Arcee?"

The blue femme's only response was "I am  **not**  losing you again!"

And just like that, all of the geth started aiming at her while the organics present continued to stare at Arcee in awe and surprise. Well, all but  **one**  of them.

Emerald just stood there smiling and said "Go get 'em, girl."

Arcee's hands changed into blasters, and she started to shoot the geth left and right. They shot her with rockets. They shot her with plasma. They shot at her with stone chunks.

Yes, they were **that**  desperate.

With all honesty, the shoot out was pure awesomeness. It was so awesome, so amazing, so purely filled with synthetic carnage and righteous fury, that any and all attempts to try and write it down would seem weak in comparison to what transpired.

A minute later, there were no geth left, and a panting Arcee beginning to calm down. "Uh, I think you got 'em all, 'Cee," Michael said softly.

Taking in a final breath, she started to head over to Michael. "Alright, I'm good." A lone geth tried in vain to aim its gun at the Cybertronian warrior goddess, only to be crushed to pieces by a rapid succession of kicks.  **"Now**  I'm good."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Got all that blinding anger out of your system?"

"Yep."

"Not going to accidentally strike out at any of us from residual rage?"

"Trust me, Michael, I got it all out of me."

**_"Too bad."_ **

***KRANG!***

Suddenly, Arcee was knocked away and landed next to a shocked Wrex and Ashley. A dark tomahawk was buried in her right shoulder.

 ** _"For_ you, _anyway."_**  Craning his head the best he could, Michael stared in shock as Agent Omega floated right next to him, then gracefully landed on the ruined pedestal.  ** _"Me, on the other hand? I'm just getting started."_**  He then drew his kukri knives from their sheathes. The blades were jagged and sharp, and were the color black. They seemed to give off an aura that craved bloodshed.

"...Are you kidding me?" Cortana exclaimed through Chief's speakers. "He can  **FLY?!"**

 ** _"Oh, I can do_ more _than that, Cortana."_**  Even though no one could see his face, his tone suggested he was making a gut-twisting grin.  ** _"I look forward to telling you all about it...after I kill your friends and take you back to where you belong. The Dark Hand still has plans for you, after all."_**

"Over my dead body!" John said with anger, aiming his Eagle heavy pistol at the fearsome warrior.

 ** _"That's the plan, Chief. Oh, but before I forget,"_**  he pointed to his left and said  _ **"Smile for the camera! Because you.**   **Are.**   **LIVE!"**_

Sure enough, there was a video camera floating nearby. In fact, there were multiple cameras, each one recording the battle.

And each one broadcasting it throughout the galaxy.

* * *

_Scene Change: Eden Prime, colony..._

* * *

Natasha and Steve were having a bad day.

It began soon after Michael had left with his team to track down the artifact while the rest of the squad stayed behind to protect the colony from any possible attacks from the geth. Soon afterwards, gunshots were fired, coming from the direction Michael's team went. Everyone was nervous after that, wishing that something would happen soon in order to get rid of the tension from waiting and doing nothing.

About thirty minutes later, they got their wish, in the form of a Geth Colossus.

However, the Colossus didn't attack. It just stood there, as if waiting for orders. Then it walked forward and looked into the sky...

...projecting a live image of Michael and his team-along with three others-fighting a platoon of geth lead by someone called Agent Omega. Apparently he was not only an agent of the Dark Hand, but was also someone named Terminus, Bringer of End. Someone terrifying enough to scare Wrex.

That is  **never**  a good sign.

Midway through the battle, Omega was about to kill Michael when Arcee suddenly transformed into a giant, female humanoid mech and threw a Geth Prime into Omega, sending both falling into the abyss, before wiping out the rest of the geth present.

The victory was short lived, however, as Omega literally flew up and knocked Arcee to the ground with a tomahawk.

Now, he was preparing to attack Natasha and Steve's comrades. And they couldn't do a thing to help.

Cursing their uselessness, they were forced to watch the events unfold.

* * *

_Scene Change: Citadel, Anderson and Kahlee's apartment..._

* * *

David Anderson and his fiance, Kahlee Sanders, were feeling the exact same way.

Soon after Michael and his adoptive father arrived at the Citadel, Anderson got to a video terminal to tell Kahlee the good news: their son was alive, and was joining the fight to bring Saren to justice.

With tears, Kahlee thanked whatever gods existed for the safe return of her son. Then swore she'd kill him herself once she met up with him for making her worry so much.

Almost two weeks later, the two parents were watching a vid when suddenly the signal was hijacked, instead now showing someone named Agent Omega facing off against Michael, some of his teammates, and two of Michael's girlfriends in a temple on Eden Prime.

This Omega was bad news. The fact that he could put fear in a krogan like Wrex was the biggest sign of that.

And now, they were forced to watch as their son was left bound by energy, unable to help his friends fight this enemy that wanted him dead.

And they knew they couldn't do a thing about it.

* * *

_Scene Change: Citadel, Cerberus safe house..._

* * *

Jack Harper, a.k.a. The Illusive Man, and his colleagues were not known for buckling under pressure. However, at this moment they were seriously beginning to consider it.

It was quite a turn of events when every screen in Project: Rebirth's safe house suddenly turned an or switched images to show this Agent Omega character fighting against one of their operatives and his team with a platoon of geth. While Rael was concerned with the well being of his daughter, Xen was studying the capabilities of the geth drones; Petrovsky was intent on seeing how their latest operative had progressed in battle; Kerry Lawson was worried about the well being of the man she was saved by; and The Illusive Man simply studied Agent Omega. If a man was fearsome enough to put fear in a capable SPECTRE and a powerful krogan mercenary so easily, then one would be a fool to not know this enemy.

Now they were not so easily surprised. But when a human female suddenly transforms herself into a towering female mechanoid? Well, it was shocking enough for The Man formerly known as Harper to drop both his glass of bourbon and allow his cigarette to fall from his mouth.

And that's saying something.

But then Omega came flying up and brought Arcee to her knees. So to speak.

And now, as Omega readied himself for the battle, Jack Harper silently wished he could do something,  **anything,**  to help.

* * *

_Scene Change: Citadel, Council Chambers..._

* * *

The Councilors- particularly Tevos- were on the brink of declaring a galactic wide state of war.

They had been in the middle of talking with Ambassador Udina and Ambassador Raan about the status of their three newest SPECTREs when suddenly, every screen in the vicinity turned on and began broadcasting the exact same image.

Terminus, Bringer of End, was confirmed to be alive and well. And he was currently on Eden Prime.

After explaining who this monster was, Udina immediately left to try and mobilize a fleet, believing that if they acted quickly, they could contain Terminus-or Agent Omega, as he now identifies as-on Eden Prime. Valern and Sparatus were right behind him. Tevos, paralyzed with fear, prayed to Athame herself that Michael would find a way out of this nightmare. Raan, however, was left staring at the battle, praying to the ancestors that Tali would survive.

But now, it seemed like that hope was fading fast, with Omega demonstrating his near invincibility. All Raan could do now was pray that if they were killed, their deaths would be quick.

Ashley's mother and sisters, who were there to ask Udina about Ashley was doing, were transfixed to the screens in horror, praying to God that if anywone were to survive, at least let it be Ashley.

* * *

_Scene Change: Normandy..._

* * *

Jeff "Joker" Moreau, pilot of the SSV Normandy, has felt useless only a few times throughout his entire life.

Watching the battle on Eden Prime on the screen, he soon adds this moment to the list.

He may be known as the best pilot in the Alliance fleet- Hell, maybe even the  **galaxy-**  but all those skills meant nothing if you couldn't help those you fought alongside with.

Even if he wanted to fire everything the ship had at the area, he couldn't hope to reach the temple were the fight took place. And even if he could, the targeting systems weren't precise enough to hit Agent Omega alone.

So now, all he could do was watch, sending a prayer that they get out of there alive.

* * *

_Scene Change: Eden Prime, Prothean Temple..._

* * *

**(Play "Time of Dying by Three Days Grace")**

"Well, aren't you a theatrical guy?" Roman commented with a whistle.

**_"You disapprove?"_ **

"Oh, no. I'm just used to it from hanging around Michael and the other guy for so long."

 ** _"Fair enough."_**  With a twirl of his kukris, he said  ** _"_ _Now then. Let us begin."_**

Arcee finally managed to get back up, tearing out the tomahawk from her shoulder. "Let's," she growled out with venom.

Everyone charged toward the armored warrior, guns blazing all the way. Omega simply dodged them as if he saw them coming a mile away, calmly walking towards his foes. Eventually, he reached John and Emerald. Blades clashing against bladed weapons and firearms, the kukris danced around his hands fluently, pushing them back.

They moved out of the way to allow Wrex to slam into Omega, managing to force him back a few feet. Unfortunately, Omega took the opportunity to bury his blades in Wrex, purposefully missing the vital organs. He tried to fight him, but Wrex was then thrown a few yards away, taking Marie and Liara down with him.

**_"That all you got?"_ **

Ashley ran up to him and started unleashing a flurry of punches, dodging each of his swings and thrusts with practiced ease. She had managed to get this good from years of practicing with her siblings. In a straight up fist fight, Ashley dominated the Dark Hand agent.

Noticing this, Omega began to give off energy similar to biotics. However, like Michael his biotics were of a different color. Unlike Michael, Omega's were the colors of black and dark purple. He delivered a backhanded Warp to her face, sending her sprawling away and slamming into John.

"Agh!"

Emerald, double teaming with Vasir, soon followed afterwards after they tried and failed to sneak up on the bastard. He caught a punch and a kick, then lifted them up and slammed them into each other. He then leaped into the air and delivered a flying roundhouse kick into Arcee's head, knocking her to the ground once again.

***BOOM!***

A shot from _Melodic Cudgel_  hit Omega square in the back, causing him to turn his gaze to Roman Torchwick. "Entertain me," Roman said cheekily.

Shaking his head a bit, Omega looked at the former criminal and said  ** _"Prepare to be entertained, then."_**

***SHING***

He brought out his kukris and began to engage the former crime lord, not giving him a second to catch his breath. Unfortunately for him, though, Roman seemed to be more capable than he thought, as he was matching every swing of the blades blow for blow.

Half a minute later, Omega dropped to the ground and slashed at Roman's shin, causing him to drop  _Melodic Cudgel_  in pain. He realized his mistake too late, and was headbutted by Omega's helmeted head.

Allowing the group to catch their second wind, Agent Omega remarked  ** _"If this is all you have, then I'll be able to kill Michael quicker than I thought."_**

That comment reinvigorated them, and they began their second assault.

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

_'Damn it! **Damn it! DAMN IT!'**_

These were the thoughts that wrung through my head as I struggled in vain to break these infernal bonds. Then again, considering that these are made of pure energy, I doubt I could actually break these with physical strength alone.

And so, I was forced to watch as my teammates, my girlfriends, and my newfound allies struggled in vain to defeat Agent Omega. The man was like a shadowy bolt of lightning, the way he moved so fast. He was strong as a SPARTAN, and probably stronger than that. And if the feeling in my gut was right, then he outclassed everyone here by a mile.

_'We had to find a way to lose him and get out of here. If we don't, he'll kill us all._

_'But first I have to get out of these damn bonds!'_

Suddenly, time seemed to stop. Everyone was frozen in place: Omega with his fist slammed into John's gut, Vasir, Liara and Marie trying to Warp the bastard; Ashley, Roman and Wrex shooting him; and Arcee helping up a battered Emerald.

**(End "Time of Dying - Three Days Grace")**

**"Having troubles, old friend? Speak with your thoughts if you must communicate."**

The hooded woman had returned, now standing directly over me. Even in the middle of this battle, her presence seemed to calm me down a bit.

 _'This guy, this... **monster**...he's too powerful. We can't beat him. If we don't find a way to at least get away from him, we'll all die!'_  With a pleading look in my eyes, I thought  _'Please! I don't care who you are, I don't care **what**  you are! Just help me save them!'_

She studied me for a moment, then spoke.  **"Answer me this: why do you fight?"**

I was left speechless.  _'What?'_

**"Every being in existence has their own reasons for fighting. Revenge. Glory. Acceptance. Wealth. Recognition. Or simply to fight. Each person has a reason to fight, and in this aspect, each person is unique. In order to fight, you must have a reason to fight. So tell me, old friend: what is _your_  reason to fight?"**

For what seemed like hours, I didn't answer. I thought of Carlisle, whose treasonous actions lead to the deaths of many of his friends. I thought of Saren, whose service to the Reapers to save himself and hatred of humans ruined the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people. I thought of Stryker, who tried to kill Tali by tearing off her helmet, and was responsible for the torture of Cortana.

In each and every instance, I wanted nothing more than to make them pay. To take vengeance for those who died and suffered because of them.

But then I remembered Tali, scared of rejection because of her geth implants. As I held here there, comforting her, I swore to myself that I wouldn't let her suffer like that again.

And then I remembered the others: Emerald and Arcee, women with whom I fell in love with, who both suffered in my absence. I remembered the absolute joy on from them as they held me close, never wanting to lose me again.

And then David Anderson, the man who raised me like a son, and the look of happiness as he was reunited with me. I can only imagine how Kahlee Sanders, my adoptive mother, took the news of my return. She'd probably hug me and kill me. Maybe not in that order.

Roman Torchwick, a person whose life I somehow managed to turn around for the better, a man who looked up to me with respect and admiration.

Bronson and Malak, two mercenaries who were hired to protect me, now two of my closest companions.

Garrus Vakarian and Rika Goemon, the C-SEC officers I befriended as we took on the Dark Hand. I can only imagine how we bonded during that time, but the friendliness in our talks were clearly evident.

Natasha Shepard.

Ashley Williams.

Anna Marie.

Tony Stark.

John-117.

Kerry Lawson.

All of them, smiling at me. Believing in me.

And with teary eyes, I found my reason to fight.

_'To protect...those dearest to me!'_

The woman shows a genuine smile. And then, the world turns white.

* * *

I found myself in a forest filled with sakura trees, the petals falling like pink snowflakes. The trees, massive in length and width, reached to the heavens. I ought to have known, seeing as I was standing at the top of an enormous tower overlooking the entire forest.

**"Welcome back, Michael. I have longed for the day you would return."**

Turning around, I came face to face with a sight that made my jaw drop and my face heat up.

Standing in front of me was a beautiful woman, appearing to be in her late 20's to early 30's. Her body, which held an hourglass figure and full E-Cup breasts, was wrapped in a kimono that perfectly showed off her form. Said kimono was jet black, with patterns of a starlit sky, yet held accents of glistening silver. She had long, luscious black hair that shone in the light, the length of which trailed down to her rather large, firm backside. Her sun-kissed face was mostly covered by a long scarf, the color of a red sky. And her heterochromatic eyes, which were warm and inviting, yet sharp and piercing, were the color red and silver.

All in all: she was a  **goddess!**

I was left speechless by her beauty. There was no way she could be human.  **No**  human woman could be this beautiful! Hell, she'd probably even have Miranda Lawson beaten, and she's  **designed**  to be perfect!

**"Well, you're right. I'm _not_  a human."**

My eyes widened in surprise. "How did you-"

 **"This isn't only _my_  world, but  _your's_  as well. Thus I am able to read your thoughts."** With a slight blush, she continued.  **"Also, I'm pleased that you still see me in such an attractive light."**

I face-palmed. With both hands. "Oh lord, take me now."

She giggled. Then with a more serious gaze, she said  **"I'm sorry, Michael, but we don't have the luxury of time on our side to reconnect with each other. If you wish to save your friends, we must hurry."**

Suddenly, the tower began to fall apart into separate cubes. Then the forest began to dissipate, leaving nothing behind. Everything was beginning to become swallowed up in darkness.

 **"If you're to save your friends, you must first hear my name. And there's only one way to do so."**  She then grabbed me with one hand, then threw me off of the tower.  **"You must find my power."**

And then I fell.

 **"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH** HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

After I got that out of my system, I noticed something odd: I was floating in midair. The world was still disintegrating, but I was frozen in midair.

**"Are you done?"**

I looked to her and said "I think so."

 **"Good. Because you need to focus."**  Gesturing to the many cubes surrounding us, she continued  **"My power lies within one of these cubes. If you can find it, then you will know my name once more, and gain my power. The mere release of my power will be more than enough to break your bonds."**

I nodded in understanding, all while looking at every cube. "Okay...so how do I find it? There has to be a million of these cubes!"

**"Focus, Michael. Think back. Think back to the time you first used our power. Though weakened from our separation, it still remained. Remember the sensation. Remember your feelings. Remember!"**

As I took in what she said, I tried to process it.  _'When did I ever use these powers she was talking about? Whenever I used any power, it was always...my...'_

Then it all became clear. I closed my eyes, and focused. Instantly, the darkness that threatened to block out the sun was illuminated by my golden biotics. Focusing even further, I reached out. Sensing every cube.

Then, in my mind's eye (for lack of a better word), one of them glowed. I pushed myself forward, reaching out for it. And just as it was within my grasp...

...it opened.

And suddenly, the dark was illuminated. And in its place was the universe.

Stars surrounded me on all sides, like beacons in the night. Galactic clouds sailed through me. Galaxies spun like whirlpools.

Words could not describe the beauty of this sight. And if they could, they would still fall short.

Then I felt a sensation I only felt when using my powers. They were coming from a nearby star, which appeared to be shining the brightest.

Standing near it was the mysterious woman.  **"You know what you must do."**

Gently gliding forward, I acted on instinct. I reached into the star, as if I were rummaging through a chest. For a while, I found nothing.

Then I found something.

I gripped my hand around the object, and with all my might, I pulled it out.

Suddenly, memories began to fill my mind. They went too fast for me to focus on, but there were some that were slow enough for me to make out. Then they stopped, and I found myself looking at a man standing before the stars. I couldn't make out what he looked like, even when he turned to face me. But the voice, I did know.

_"When you're ready, come and find me."_

And then I found myself standing in front of the woman again, her eyes wet with tears of joy.  **"Welcome back."**

I smiled, my head still pounding from what I saw. "Good to be back." I raised my hand toward her. "My name is Michael."

She nodded. Taking my hand in her own, though rather softly, she said  **"And my name is..."**

* * *

_Third-Person POV:_

* * *

Agent Omega had all but won.

Arcee, Marie, Liara, John, Vasir, Ashley, Emerald, Roman, and Tali all laid at his feet. They had put up a good fight, don't get me wrong. But the difference between them and Omega was the same as Heaven and Earth.

It was simply too vast.

 ** _"Is that it?"_**  Omega asked tauntingly.  ** _"Is that really all the fight you have in you? Because if it is, I have to say: I'm very disappointed. I expected...well,_ more _from all of you. Especially_  you, _Arcee. Are you truly going to just lay there as_ another _partner is slain before your very eyes?"_**

The Autobot femme was too beaten to do anything except glare at the armored man- no,  **monster.**  This thing was a monster in humanoid form. It had no remorse. No pity. No mercy.

And it was going to kill every one of them without a second thought.

 ** _"Oh well,"_**  Omega said dejectedly,  ** _"I guess there's no point in delaying the inevitable."_**  He sauntered over to where Tali lay, too beaten to even move a muscle. With a single hand, he gently lifted her up and set her on her knees.  ** _"You are a lucky one, Miss Zorah. If I were anyone else, I'd have started tearing your suit off and have my way with you, not even caring that the event would be broadcast across the galaxy. But I am me, and if anyone even_ tried _to do that while I was around, I'd beat their heads into bloody pulps. With a lead pipe."_**  He brought her gaze, filled with horror at realization of her fate, to meet his.  ** _"Those people, I let suffer. But not your lot. And especially not you,"_**  he said gently as he pulled out a kukri.

**"Omega! Don't you dare-!"**

**_"Relax, soldier,"_**  he said, interrupting Ashley.  ** _"I promise, she won't even feel a thing. Besides, you'll all join her soon enough."_**  He brought the tip to her heart.  ** _"Find peace in the embrace of your ancestors, young pilgrim."_**

Closing her eyes, Tali prayed for someone to stop this. And if not, then at least for the end to come quick.

Unknown to her, Rael and Raan were praying the exact same thing.

And their prayers would be answered.

Omega reared the blade back, ready for the kill, as everyone across the galaxy watched in helplessness.

***CRACK***

Suddenly, all eyes turned toward the source of those sound.

_"Show 'em what you can do..."_

Michael stood, the bonds of energy dissipating around him. His hand lay upon the handle of the covered sword, ready to pull it out. And with conviction in his eyes, he did.

_**"Masamune!"** _

Suddenly, a blinding light and searing heat surrounded the young SPECTRE, causing everyone to shield their eyes until the light died down. When it did, they were left speechless at the sight before them.

Michael, standing tall and proud, was wearing a white and red hoodie, along with a pair of white pants. The hoodie was left open, revealing an N7 chestplate beneath. Also adorning his torso was a pair of red shoulder plates- with three crimson scales on the left shoulder- crossing his chest in an X shape. Both the forelegs and forearms of the outfit were covered in an odd pair of gauntlets and greave/boots, both of which were red and white. Tied around his waist was a red cloak with black markings.

In his right hand was a rather unique-looking sword. The sword, which was a single-edged traditional Japanese chokutō sword, was the color black with an ever changing pattern of a starlit night. The hilt was pure white, with red linings adorning it. The blade was also broader, with a circular guard separating the blade from the hilt. In his left hand was the sheath, which was white with red linings at the top, and red throughout the rest of the scabbard.

Michael brought his gaze toward Agent Omega, his face now covered by a white metal mask with yellow lens, which gleamed in anger at the enemy before him. _"Alright, Omega,"_  said Michael, his voice filtered and dripping with barely contained rage,  _"let's try this again."_

Suddenly, Michael was in front of Omega, his hand grasping his shoulder. With an almighty force, he threw the dark-armored individual  **through the ceiling.**  He turned around to face the others and said  _"Shouldn't take too long. Be right back."_  And as fast as he appeared, he jumped straight through the hole.

"...What the  **hell**  just happened?" Wrex, Ashley, Tali, Vasir, and Liara asked with complete honesty.

Arcee, Emerald and Roman chuckled, while John, Marie and Cortana shook their heads in amazement. "Quite simply," Roman said with a smirk on his face, "Boss is now seriously  **pissed off."**

* * *

_Scene Change: Eden Prime, colony..._

* * *

***KABOOM!***

A sudden impact turned the Geth Colossus into a pile of scrap metal.

Things had looked pretty bleak for the rest of the team, until they saw Michael transform in a burst of light. Nobody knew how, but he simply went through a costume change, and yet he was suddenly empowered with inhuman levels of strength and speed. Easily notable by how easily Michael managed to throw Agent Omega through a freaking underground temple and into the thing that used to be a Geth Colossus.

Quite frankly, they were awestruck.

***BOOM!***

Almost immediately after, Michael appeared next to the crater, gleaming sword in hand. He turned to look at the others and said  _"Hey guys. Be honest with me: do I look stupid in this?"_

Bronson laughed and said "Are you kidding? You're like a fucking  **badass**  in that getup! Seriously, out of all the designs that could be done,  **that**  one is just the best to go with. And-"

 _"I get the point, Deadpool."_  Looking around, he continued  _"Uh, look, I'm sorry for making you guys worry, but-"_

Natasha raised her hand, silencing him. "Trust me, if I were actually that worried, I'd be running like a maniac to were you were."

"Weren't you on the verge of hyperventilating a few seconds ago?"

...

...

***BANG!***

Bronson started hopping in place, clutching his right leg in pain.  **"OW! DAMMIT! EXACT! SAME! SPOT! OW! OW! OW!"**

"...Yeah, he had it coming." Everyone present nodded at Malak's statement. One ought to know that you are to  **never**  try to contradict a Shepard. You  **will**  come to regret it.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared next to them, with the rest of the team emerging. They looked around in shock, before Ashley turned to face Roman. "How-?!"

"Let's just say that I picked up a few tricks from Boss, and leave it at that for now."

Everyone decided to agree with that, as it would probably mean less headaches.

**(Play "Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Theme Music)")**

Then a noise began to come from the crater. With a prolonged metal groan, Agent Omega threw the Colossus away from him and crawled out of the crater.  ** _"Huh. That happened."_**  Twirling around his kukri knives, he continued  ** _"And now, so is this."_**

Brandishing his sword, Michael countered  _"Yes. Yes it is."_

The two charged toward each other, sparks flying as the blades collided against each other. Both warriors put pressure against each other's weapons, neither willing to give an inch. Then they leaped away from each other ever so slightly, followed up with Omega swinging his knives from his left.

***CLANG!***

Michael parried to the right, causing the blades to recoil and send both swordsmen stumbling slightly.

The sparks ended when Michael delivered a kick to Omega's side. Taking advantage of his opponent stumbling, Michael quickly sheathed his sword. Both hands were gripping the handle and sheath respectively.

***SHING!***

***SHING!*  
**

***SHING!***

Omega looked back up just in time to see the upwards arc Michael made when drawing  _Masamune_  in an attack. Michael would slash, sheath, and repeat. This forced Omega into defense, a thought that annoyed the Dark Hand agent greatly.

 ** _"I've always hated that style,"_**  Omega complained.

However, it took a split second for Omega to anticipate Michael's movements. This time when he sheathed his sword, Omega attacked at that moment.

***SHING!***

Michael managed to dodge the kukri knife, ducking fast enough to let the blade cut through the air above him.

Realizing that Iaido was no longer an option, Michael quickly jumped backwards, keeping the blade between him and his enemy. Holding the sword vertically to his face, he made as strong and fast an attack as he could.

***CLANG!***

Omega was able to block it, but just barely. Though now sword and daggers were locked together, and sword was quickly gaining the upper hand. Sacrificing safety for attack, Omega took one of his kukris off the sword, and stabbed Michael in the side.

Thankfully for Michael, adrenaline was on his side. As such, he barely felt the blow, the only sign that he was aware of it being a slight grunt of annoyance. The knife, however, could not stay.

Twisting  _Masamune_ , Omega's other kukri flew out of his hand. Smashing the pommel into Omega's mask, both he and the knife left his personal space. Michael then took the opportunity to slash this strange blade into Omega's side as payback.

As Omega fell to the ground, Michael began to kick with all he had.  _"There's a **lot**  I can put up with."_

A kick to the chest.

_"You can tie me down."_

A stomping kick to the chest.

_"You can beat me to a pulp!"_

A kick across the face.

_"You can even fucking **kill**  me! But nobody!"_

Dropkick.

_**"Nobody!"** _

Stomping kick to the face.

_**"TRIES TO KILL MY GIRLFRIEND!"** _

One last kick sent Omega sprawling back, just enough to put some distance between him and Michael. Taking this opportunity, he managed to get back up, only to find Michael charging forward,  _Masamune_ reared back. Suddenly, flaming gold and red energy cloaked the entire blade.

Sensing what was about to happen, Omega jumped back to gain some distance. However, as Michael swung his sword, the blade then extended to a length that was twice that of the sheath, leaving Omega to realize there was no escape. The blade continuing its path, Michael cried out an attack that felt familiar to use, and oh so right at the same time.

_**"Getsuga...TENSHŌ!"** _

He swung  _Masamune_  in a diagonal fashion, from Omega's right hip to his left shoulder. However, Omega put up a struggle as the blade attempted to complete its attack, as he used his biotics as a shield to block the strike. However, the barrier of energy quickly dissipated...

***FABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMM!***

...and the slash created an enormous, blinding explosion. The figure of Omega was sent flying away, crashing into a nearby cliff, before falling back down to the ground.

Everyone present, both teammates and colonists, had stayed silent, too afraid to even speak. Throughout the galaxy, the people watching were frozen to the screens, trying to process what just happened.

Michael Anderson- a rookie SPECTRE- had managed to single-handedly wipe the floor Agent Omega, a.k.a. Terminus, Bringer of End.

And then, if one listened closely enough, they could hear everyone in the galaxy cheering.

**(End "Gonna Fly Now (Rocky Theme Music)")**

Anderson, Kahlee, the Williams family, Rael and Shala were crying tears of joy for the safety of their family members. Though Rael was somewhat shocked at hearing Michael admitting- on a live broadcast, no less- to being in a relationship with his daughter. Though he decided he could be angry with the SPECTRE later, seeing as he risked his life to protect her.

Everyone in the Rebirth Cell were either cheering or laying back, allowing the stress to leave their bodies in sweet catharsis. Jack Harper was one of the latter, silently congratulating the young man for a job well done. 

The councilors and Udina, while ecstatic, were left slightly worried by what they saw. If Michael could do  **that**  to Terminus, then there was no telling what else he was capable of doing. But they decided to worry about that another time.

Back on Eden Prime, everyone cheered as they swarmed toward Michael, hugging him, slapping him on the back, and embracing him lovingly (three guesses who did the last thing). Bronson managed to get close enough to congratulate the victorious swordsman.

**"You did it, dude! You got the weapon! You got the girls (I'm pissed at how many you have, by the way)! You saved the day! And Agent Omega is getting back up! Why?! Oh God, _WHY,_  is Agent Omega getting the  _fuck_  back up?!"**

Sure enough, to everyone's shock and horror, the armored agent was slowly lifting himself back to his feet. Looking to his chest plate, one could see a rather deep slash mark, cutting right across the Reaper pattern.  ** _"Not again,"_**  he muttered. He then turned his gaze to Michael and said  ** _"Bad luck, I guess."_**

Michael simply chuckled, placing  _Masamune_  on his shoulder.  _"Not luck. A warning,"_  Michael answered in seriousness.  _"If you, or **any**  of this Dark Hand group try to threaten my friends, family, or loved ones ever again... **I'll be coming after you with the intent to wipe you all out."**_

Suddenly, a portal opened up in the sky behind Omega. With an understanding nod, he threw something to Michael before saying  ** _"This_ isn't _over,"_**  sprinting away before taking flight through the portal to make his escape.

 **"Be careful, Michael. I don't think we have seen the last of this Agent Omega,"**  Masamune warned Michael before she became quiet.

 _"Great,"_  Michael sighed, shaking his head. _"I've already got **one**  apocalyptic force to deal with. Now, another one pops up out of nowhere. Why is nothing ever easy?"_

* * *

_Normandy, 2 hours later..._

* * *

_"Probably because the universe seems to hate you. So next time you face off against a homicidal, clandestine warrior, try to do it above ground,"_  Joker said with false sternness.  _"Also, leave some for me next time. I really wanted to take a shot at him, but you got all the glory."_

Michael sighed, clutching his weapon- which had remained in its released form- as he placed it on the table. "Thank you for the input, Joker. Here's mine: next time, you get to fight him on foot." He stayed silent. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Seriously, though, you were  **extremely**  lucky you managed to get that sword to work," Kaidan pointed out. "What if it didn't even work at all?"

"Please, with Boss' luck? He'd still find a way to save everyone and get out alive."

Everyone looked to Roman as he said that. After the battle, Michael decided to bring Roman, Emerald, and Vasir onto the team, if they wanted to. Roman and Emerald decided yes, hands down. Vasir joined because she wanted Saren to pay for what he did, as well as to avenge the dishonor he brought onto the SPECTREs. Plus, she wanted to keep an eye on the rookie, as she had to make sure he wouldn't go rogue.

"Still, luck doesn't last forever," Steve said. "If Michael's going to be keeping... _Masamune_...then he's going to have to train with it. And that means he'll need an expert in swordfighting to help him with that."

"I know some people who would be willing to help," Arcee interjected. "I could give them a call, have them meet us at the Citadel, and if possible they can join us and train Michael at the same time."

"Uh...yeah, I guess that can work," he said uneasily. It was to be expected. Almost none of the team knew how to react to the fact that Arcee was, according to her, a Cybertronian. An autonomous robotic organism that was capable of transforming from giant robots to vehicles (and now, apparently, human forms). The only ones who got used to it the quickest were Legion, Tali (Arcee apparently told her before the two admitted their feelings to Michael), Roman, Marie, Emerald, Wrex (he didn't really care that much, as he knew she was alright), and Michael. Shaking his head, Steve continued "Then call them up, and we can meet them as soon as we get to the Citadel."

"Good call," Michael said with a groan. "I say we could use some downtime."

"Agreed," everyone said at once.

"For now, though, I will be studying this," Liara said, holding up the object Omega threw. "It seems similar to the device that held the map piece that lead us right to  _Masamune_ , so it would stand to reason that it leads to another weapon."

"But why would Omega just  **give**  it to us?" Garrus asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"That's why he left a message with the device, Garrus," Natasha replied. "Apparently, he managed to make a copy of some data Saren took. He figured we deserved it as a reward for managing to send him packing."

"A criminal with honor," Rika noted. "Interesting."

"Still doesn't make up for the fact that he wants to kill the kid, though," Kaidan commented.

"One thing at a time," Malak said sympathetically.

"Well, I guess that's it for now," Michael said. "Crew dismissed."

Everyone got up to leave at that. Well, almost everyone. Arcee, Emerald, Roman, Marie, John, Tony, Cortana, Malak and Bronson stayed behind. "He's definitely getting better," John commented.

"That's fer sure," Marie agreed. "But the others have a point; Michael  **needs**  training."

"And fast. Who knows when we'll run into Omega again."

After letting Bronson's statement sink in, Emerald remorsefully asked "I guess he doesn't remember yet, does he?" 

"If he remembered, he'd be in here with you guys." Everyone turned to face the new occupant in the room. It appeared to be a human male, wearing a black coat with a red pattern, similar in appearance to an outfit Arno Dorian wore in  _Assassin's Creed Untiy_. The man also wore black ninja leggings, and had a sword strapped to his back. "Fortunately, though, he's starting to remember, if only how to fight. That's a good sign."

"Didn't expect to see you here, sir," John commented. "I thought you left this kind of stuff to your new friend."

"Hikari is working on some stuff right now. Even with everything I did for her, she can only do so much." With a grin, the man continued "Besides, I wanted to see my old friends again."

"Wow," Roman said with false amazement. "Didn't know you saw me as a friend now."

 **"You**  I see more as a tolerable acquaintance."

"That's better."

"Oh, lay off him," Cortana said, "he's  **more**  than made up for his past."

"I know. I just like shitting on him."

Everyone sighed. Some things, they realized, never changed. No matter how much they wanted them to.

"Anyway, I also wanted to check in because I felt Antiverse energy in this universe. Anyone care to explain?"

"Later," Arcee said. "For now, I just want to rest."

The man nodded. "Fair enough. See you guys later then. I'll try to check in later." And in a flash of light, he was gone.

Bronson chuckled. "Long live the King."

* * *

_Unknown Location..._

* * *

Agent Omega was walking through the halls, grim satisfaction in every step. He still wore the armor piece that Michael had scarred, not because he didn't have the time to change it. No, he wanted to keep the armor piece. It served as a reminder that no matter how powerful he became, he should never underestimate his opponent ever again.

It was a lesson he would never forget.

Suffice it to say, however, his superiors were not happy. Not only did he give Michael a piece of the map (even if he did earn it), he also both humiliated himself on a live broadcast  **and**  revealed the existence of the Dark Hand. Now they had to move even more carefully than ever before.

He felt sorry for whoever decided to cross his path today.

"Not exactly a five star performance, Omega."

Stopping in his tracks, he turned to face a feminine figure standing in the shadows. Cold rage permeated from his very body.  ** _"I'm warning you right now. This is_ not _a good day to piss me off."_**

She simply chuckled. "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm stating the truth. It isn't like you to let a 'greenhorn' get the better of you."

 ** _"It won't happen again."_**  Taking a deep breath, he continued  ** _"Why are you here?"_**

"Because I'm representing the organization, of course. With a specific goal that your bosses share with us."

Though she couldn't tell, Omega raised an eyebrow.  ** _"And what goal would that be?"_**

Smirking from the shadows, she answered "The death of Michael, of course. I think we can both agree that the Dark Hand are itching for a chance to bring him down, and he's currently in the perfect state of being for it. Besides, our associates are all simply  **itching**  for another go at the little bastard."

Behind his helmet, Omega smiled.  ** _"So, ready to get back to work?"_**

She stepped out of the shadows, revealing her dark-red, off-the-shoulders, v-neck minidress with yellow designs. She also wore black shorts and dark, glass-like high heel shoes that clinked whenever she took a step. She had long dark hair, and amber eyes which beheld a calculating mind.

"With pleasure, sir," Cinder Fall replied. "With pleasure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh...My...GOD. Over 15,000 words. This is, without a doubt, my longest (and quite possibly best) chapter to date.
> 
> So, quite a bit has transpired. Here's a recap: Michael has effectively gained a harem; more people joined the team; Agent Omega has finally appeared before the heroes; the truth of Michael's origins has come to light; Michael is beginning to grow more powerful (and the whole galaxy knows it, too); some of the team know more about Michael than they let on; and Agent Omega is in league with Cinder Fall (from RWBY, which I don't own. Same goes for anything and everything related to it). From here on out, things ought to be getting very interesting.
> 
> Also, be sure to vote on the poll on my profile if you haven't already, and check out my other stories.
> 
> Until next time, ShepardisaBOSS says to leave a comment and/or review.
> 
> BUT ABSOLUTELY NO FLAMES!


	16. Praeteritum Repetiit, Pt, 1: Return of the Dragon (I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here it is. The first chapter of a new arc.
> 
> This arc will be dealing with the rest of the team's pasts as they come back to haunt them. It will be filled with side missions, too, both from the game and of my own creation.
> 
> This first chapter will be dealing with some of Michael's past, in the form of an enemy he once fought. Basic summary, while on their way back to the Citadel, the Normandy receives an SOS from a planet in the Traverse. Once arriving at the location, the team realizes too late that it is a trap. Fortunately, Michael manages to save everyone and defeat them enemy, while unlocking more of his power and discovering some of his past at the same time.
> 
> Anyway, let's get this started!
> 
> Oh, before I forget, here's this:
> 
> Disclaimer: I OWN NONE OF THE FRANCHISES MENTIONED IN THIS STORY! THEY BELONG TO THE PEOPLE WHO RIGHTFULLY OWN THEM!
> 
> Also, I gained inspiration for the prank on Councilor Sparatus from another fanfiction author. I don't remember who it was that did it first, as I only heard about it secondhand from another. But I just want to say this: I DID NOT CREATE THE PRANK! IT WAS THE PRODUCT OF ANOTHER, AND I AM SIMPLY PAYING HOMAGE TO SAID PERSON. IF SAID AUTHOR IS READING THIS, I HOPE HE/SHE LIKES MY TRIBUTE.
> 
> Finally, I will be paying tribute to the author RebukeX7 in a certain scene. Virtual cookies to whoever it is that figures it out!
> 
> (P.S., I am going to be using an opening theme to start off my stories from now on. I just want to say that I do not own the music used- or the show it is used for- in any way, shape or form. AT ALL)

**(Opening Theme: Sympathy - Larval Stage Planning)**

**_Tomo ni mou ichido tachiagare (Together, let us rise up once again)_ **

Cut to a barren wasteland, surrounded by rocks with a figure standing in the middle, a red gun and a blue gun strapped to his lower back and two sheaths strapped to his back and side.

**_Mamore hitotsu no inochi tayasanu you ni (Protect, not allowing a single life to be exterminated)_ **

A closeup reveals the figure to be Michael Anderson, eyes closed and armed with  _Masamune,_  a blue gauntlet, and a white and silver dao blade. His eyes open to reveal draconian eyes, then screams as he charges forward in a slashing motion.

**AMALGAVERSE EFFECT**

**_Futatabi otozureta yoake ni me ga samete (I wake to the revisiting dawn)_ **

Michael is shown walking through a field at night, only the moon providing light for him. Looking up, he sees Tali'Zorah, Arcee, Emerald Sustrai, Marie D'Ancato/Rogue, Liara T'Soni, Tia Halibel, and Masamune standing in front of him.

**_Kimi wo omoi dasu yume no tochuu (During a dream remembering you)_ **

Close ups reveal their smiling faces, before the scene cuts out to three separate images: Natasha and Steve Shepard, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Roman Torchwick, Garrus Vakarian, Rika Goemon, Tony Stark, Urdnot Wrex, Ashley Williams, Kaidan Alenko, Legion, Joseph Bronson, Malak al-Maut, Thane Krios, Kasumi Goto, the Stranger, Ghost, and Tela Vasir, all taking several different poses; the Illusive Man alongside Daro'Xen, Rael'Zorah, Oleg Petrovsky, and Kerry Lawson; and David Anderson with Kahlee Sanders, accompanied by Donnel Udina, Shala'Raan, Councilor Tevos, Councilor Sparatus, and Councilor Valern.

**_Me no mae no zanzou susumanai ashidori (The afterimage in my eyes, walking to nowhere)_ **

The scene changes to show a large group of silhouetted figures- both male and female- as an image of Michael appears overhead, all in a blue tone; the scene then changes to a group of shadowy figures, all gathered under the symbol of the Dark Hand organization, all covered in a red tone.

**_Toozakatte yuuku hiriki na boku (I'm powerless as I become more distant)_ **

As Michael reminisces, the images of a mysterious person, their face hidden beneath the hood of a black and red coat (oriented with an Omega symbol with a small Alpha symbol on the back) and three dragon-shaped silhouettes (each one different from the other) appear overhead. The scene quickly changes to show Agent Omega, standing menacingly behind a red moon with Cinder Fall by his side.

**_Taisetsu na mono wa doko ni aru (Where are the precious things in life?)_ **

The screen then shows a slow reveal of another young man (one with a silver suit with a yellow "T" on the chest, a black and red coat draped over everything) with glowing yellow eyes. The figure draws an alien rifle and energy sword before charging forward, slashing at the screen.

**_Ashita o shinjiru nara wasurenaide (Don't forget if you believe in tomorrow)_ **

Deep within a dark room, Cortana looks down in painful reminiscence before being accompanied by several, different colored versions of herself. Stepping into the light, the figure of Master Chief kneels down to face her.

**_Ima koso saa inochi o kakete susumi dasu toki (Now is the time, more than ever, to step forward with your life on the line)_ **

The scene then goes back to the barren wasteland, with Michael using his weapons and leaping around as he fights Barry Dylan, William Stryker, and finally Saren Arterius.

**_Omoi ga tsuyoi hodo tsuyoku naru (The stronger your feelings, the stronger you become)_ **

Noticing a large shadow, Michael sees the gigantic form of Sovereign behind him, and charges forward to strike. The scene quickly changes to the sobbing forms of Matriarch Benezia and Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat as the Rachni Queen is trapped behind them.

**_Hengen tsuru tsugihagi darake no risou de wa sugu ni kieteshimau kara (Because a changing, half-hearted ideal will soon disappear)_ **

The scene changes to a city on Earth, buildings ruined as a large form covers the city. As a close up of Agent Omega- minus his helmet- reveals his shadowed face and gleaming red eyes, the images of the _Normandy_ crew all appear smiling at the screen.

**_Towa e tsuzuku kawasu chikai (An exchanged promise that surpasses eternity)_ **

A rested Michael opens his eyes, finding himself getting pulled up from the ground by Tali, Marie, Arcee, Emerald, Masamune, Halibel, and Liara. The eight of them look to the sky, eyes filled with confidence and smiles on their faces.

**_Furuedashita karada no soko kara (From the depths of a trembling body)_ **

The final scene takes place in the wasteland, Michael surrounded by a wave of energy that explodes outwards. The last thing scene before the image freezes is that of an armored figure in the middle of the energy, weapons in hand as wings sprout out from its back.

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

**"Owww!**  Ugh, I swear, I don't think I've ever hurt this bad before!"

Bronson lightly slapped me on the back. "Walk it off, buddy." With a growl, the two of us continued onward.

"Hey, you try fighting a freaking super warrior, and then you can tell me to walk it off!"

"..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

It's been a few days since my fight with Agent Omega, operative of the Dark Hand. During those few days, my body has been aching like crazy. My best guess is that I'm feeling the drawbacks of using my powers like I did. The pain was almost worth it.

**Almost.**

I also had to explain to the others about how I got into a relationship with the daughter of Admiral Rael'Zorah. Which lead to me explaining that I am in a relationship with Tali and Arcee, and was working on restarting my relationship with Emerald. The results were...mixed.

Some of them looked at me with respect (Wrex, Bronson, Rika, Garrus, Cortana, Tony, Roman, Joker).

Others were simply shocked (Marie, Steve, Kaidan, Malak, Natasha, Vasir).

A few seemed to give the girls the stink eye (Liara, Ashley).

Legion, John and J.A.R.V.I.S. didn't really care.

Still, apart from that, it was a few days of relative peace and quiet.

Except for when we received a message from the Council two days ago...

* * *

_Flashback..._

* * *

The Council were looking at Natasha, Steve and I from the holographic forms before us. Joining our conversation were Anderson, Udina, Raan, and the leaders of Cerberus. Apparently my little fight was big enough that all of them agreed to talk with us at the same time, even if it meant the Council now knew they were unknowingly working with a black ops group.

 _"Well, I suppose congratulations are in order, young SPECTRE,"_  Sparatus said with- I shit you not- genuine  **respect**  in his voice.  _"Not many can say they managed to send Terminus running with his tail between his legs."_

 _"You should consider yourself lucky you managed to survive that encounter,"_ Valern continued. His eyes, which once held indifference toward me, were now filled with the same amount of respect Sparatus now had toward me.

Groaning as I rubbed my shoulder, I jokingly replied "My body doesn't feel very lucky, Councilor."

 _"This isn't a game!"_  Tevos exclaimed.  _"It's bad enough Terminus is still alive. Now he has some unknown vendetta against you, as well as a mysterious organization as his allies!"_

Natasha stepped in. "Okay, a lot of my teammates were nearly killed by this bastard, and we know nothing about him. Hell, even the ones on this ship that  **do**  know him won't even give us specifics. I say its high damn time we got some fucking answers!"

The three councilors fidgeted a bit, before Tevos began to speak.  _"Before the Alliance was officially formed, the Citadel species were at war._

* * *

**(From Tevos' perspective, memories are shown of a synthetic army wearing nothing but dark-colored armor stood in formation beneath an enormous banner with a blood-red Omega symbol. Every soldier was armed to the teeth with deadly firearms, from pistols to heavy weapons. Overlooking the army was Agent Omega, with an armada of ships flying above him in a crimson sky)**

_"The enemy were known as the Sea of Blood, an army of synthetic origin with one goal: to destroy everything. Their leader was known by many names: The Supreme Destroyer, Lord Oblivion, Nothingness Incarnate. But the name he most preferred was Terminus, Bringer of End._

**(Terminus stood in the ruins of a city, people lying dead all around him. In his hand was an** **ōdachi** **, black in color with a purple hilt. The blade radiated with dark energy)**

_"Terminus was a monster, one who destroyed everything in his path. He could level cities with a swipe of his sword. At his command, the entire population of several colonies were wiped out. He made an entire sector of space his domain, which would later come to be known as the Terminus Systems. He could not be sated, as his only desire was to see everyone in the galaxy dead at his feet, with our civilizations left to the ravages of time. And he nearly succeeded._

**(A mysterious figure stood before the masses, holding a flag with the symbol for genesis. The figure was clad in white armor, which shone brilliantly in the radiant sun. On his back was a sheathed katana, which was smaller and more straight-edged than Terminus' blade)**

_"However, a mysterious warrior of Terminus' species- who came to be known as Genesis- rallied many of the Citadel races behind his banner. Under his leadership, they managed to hit the Sea of Blood in all their weak spots, and we managed to eradicate them. In the end, only Terminus and Genesis remained._

**(Terminus and Genesis clashed their blades together, sparks flying as they glared at each other with conviction. The land around them was ruined by war, with people looking at the battle in awe. The scene changed to Terminus and Genesis, both impaled on the former's sword, falling into a flaming abyss)**

_"They battled for an entire week, with their fight completely destroying the planet's surface. Until, on the seventh day, Genesis took his sword, impaled both himself and Terminus upon it, and threw both himself and his foe into a volcano. Terminus, Bringer of End, was no more._

**(Unknown to anyone else, the figure of Terminus crawled out of the volcano, beaten, broken, and severely weakened)**

_"Or so we thought."_

* * *

Everyone present was stunned into silence. Finally, the Illusive Man took a drag of his smoke and said  _"How can you be sure that's what really happened?"_

_"...Because I was there when it happened. One hundred and twenty-seven years ago."_

...

...

...

...Ho. Ly. Shit.

"Wait wait wait," Steve said, raising his hands incredulously. "One hundred and twenty-seven  **years**  ago?! How is that even possible?!"

 _"Terminus- or Agent Omega, as he now calls himself- was said to have been several centuries old by the time he began his war,"_  Valern answered nervously.  _"It would stand to reason that he could live another hundred years."_

With a grim chuckle, I commented "Man, Aria's not going to be happy when she finds out her throne is in danger."

The councilors groaned at hearing that.  _"Tell me about it,"_  Tevos said wearily.  _"She always tended to think with her fists when it came to protecting that hellhole of a station. If she thinks Terminus is going to take back his throne, she'll become even more of a pain to deal with than she already is."_

 _"And an **irate**  Aria is an Aria we don't want to deal with,"_ Sparatus added.

 _"But what are we going to do about it?"_  Anderson asked.  _"As long as he's running freely through the galaxy, he may try something like this again."_

 _"That's where Cerberus comes in,"_  the Illusive Man said, blowing a steady stream of smoke.  _"We have informants throughout the galaxy. If anything out of the ordinary happens, we'll inform all of you about it."_

 _"As will STG,"_  Valern added, though he threw a glare at TIM as he said it. I don't think he liked the idea of having to work with Cerberus that much, especially since it meant sharing knowledge of STG intelligence with others.

Nodding, I then drew my attention back to Sparatus. It was an elephant in the room that was present since this meeting started, and I wanted to address it now, while it was still fresh. "Understood. But, um, Sparatus? I don't mean to be rude, but...why is your hologram  **pink?"**

...

...

...

...

...

...

...You could practically hear a pin drop at that point. Then everyone present in the meeting (except Sparatus) couldn't hold it in anymore, and burst out laughing. And I mean  **everyone.**

 ** _"WHAT?!"_**  Sparatus screamed, his mandibles flaring out in rage and embarrassment (but mostly the latter).  _"WHY DIDN'T ANYONE SAY SOMETHING EARLIER?!"_

Trying to stifle her giggling- her  **giggling!** \- Xen replied  _"Because it's too hilarious!"_

Unable to take the humiliation anymore, Sparatus fumbled with his controls before his image finally dissipated.

About five minutes later, everyone had calmed down by that point. Wiping her eyes, Tevos said  _"We'll...we'll let you know if anything comes up. For now, continue with your search for Saren."_  And with that, the images flickered away. Except for Rael.

"Admiral? Is there something you wanted to say?"

_"Yes, actually. I would like a word with you. In private."_

Gulping, I stayed in the room as Natasha and Steve left. With a bit of hurry in their step.

_Oh, this is **so**  not gonna be fun._

* * *

_Flashback Over..._

* * *

And I was right. After that meeting, I had nightmares for weeks about being alone in a quarian liveship.

And quarian martial arts (which I didn't even know  **existed**  until then).

_Note to self: when visiting Migrant Fleet in the future, wear the strongest steel cup possible. Scratch that, make it a cup made of an adamantium and vibranium alloy._

I also learned that the whole pink hologram prank came from Kaidan, Tony and Tali messing with the comm systems to try and upgrade them. I made sure they knew about the awesome work they did.

Back to the present, though. We were now on our way back to the Citadel after having a few days to lick our wounds. And honestly, we couldn't get there fast enough.

"Seriously, though, how are you still this sore?" Bronson asked. "I would've thought it'd pass after a day."

Sighing, I replied "I think its just my body trying to adapt to my new powers. Or at least, my powers getting upgraded."

_'One thing's for sure, though; whatever my energy is, it is **definitely** not biotics.'_

"Makes sense, I suppose." A few minutes of silence in the elevator passed before he opened his mouth again. "Soooo...scuttlebutt around the ship says you've started sleeping with your girlfriends. Care to comment?"

Sputtering in shock and embarrassment. That was my initial response. "I-I-I'm not...they-they're... ***sigh***...we're not sleeping together, okay?" Looking away, I blushed a bit more and added "At least, not yet."

Bronson's face broke into a cheshire grin. "Ooooohhh? I would've thought they'd help you with a certain kind of 'healing' for your aches and p-"

"Utter one more syllable and you'll get another bullet hole." I punctuated that threat by aiming my Desert Eagle at him.

"..."

Speaking of my girlfriends, I talked with Anderson and TIM to see if they could get Arcee some credentials, as she apparently didn't have her human identity set up yet. Twenty-seven hours later, Robyn Carol "R.C." Darby was a registered citizen of the Alliance. Apparently, she's supposed to be the sister-in-law of June Darby, an Alliance medic stationed in Nevada (which really shocked me, as Arcee later revealed this was  **that**  June Darby. So, that'll be interesting when I finally meet up with her). Surprisingly, though, she was already a member of the military. The kind that worked off the books. While this was a bit concerning, TIM assured me that it was only to keep her and her allies safe from any interested parties.

After they managed to pull that off, I later called Admiral Zorah back, the reason being to get some more details on Tali's...condition (which he obviously knew about, as he tensed when I brought it up). I wanted to make sure that we would be able to help her in case she received complications from her geth parts. Thankfully, he said the implants actually improved her immune system greatly, allowing her to be out of her suit for a minimum of four hours without the need for antibiotics and immune system boosters. They also apparently gave her gradual technopathic abilities (which kinda explains quite a bit, now that I think about it).

And with Emerald, I spent the last few days getting to know her better. Apparently, she used to be an ally of Cinder Fall, a rather dangerous individual who used to work alongside Roman Torchwick to plan an attack on Beacon Academy. However, during the time she was going out with me (not knowing we were actually enemies at first), she began to see things from my point of view, and started to suspect that she would be in danger if she stayed with Cinder. This was later proven true, as she was nearly killed by a "monster" during the attack, though was saved by me. After that, she officially cut all ties with Cinder and joined forces with me and Team RWBY.

Which lead me to later wonder  **HOW**  I even  **managed**  to wind up in the world of  _RWBY_. Stupid amnesia.

But getting back on track. "Besides, I literally just started my... **relationship**...with Tali, Arcee, and Emerald three days ago! (Though for Arcee and Emerald, I guess it could be restarting.) Either way, I'm not exactly planning on having sex with them at the very beginning! I want it to be more than a physical relationship. You know?"

"Yeah, I hear ya," Bronson nodded in agreement. "I was worried when my sis started dating, because I thought it would end in disaster. But years later, she's now married and is happy."

My eyebrows rose up slightly. "You have a sister?"

"Yep," Bronson responded. "You've already met her, too."

"I have? When would I have-"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

And then the penny dropped.

**"KERRY'S YOUR SISTER?!"**

Placing a hand over my mouth, Bronson said "Seriously, not so loud first thing in the morning. And wasn't it obvious? Tanned skin, ruby eyes, penchant for violence? You really never noticed?"

"But-but-but...but I... **HER LAST NAME IS-"  
**

_"Attention all SPECTREs, attention. We're being hailed by Alliance command, Fifth Fleet on the Citadel. It looks pretty urgent."_

_Nice timing, Joker. Real nice. And now, I ave to take the elevator._

_**Again.** _

* * *

"Seriously,  **WHY**  is that elevator so fucking slow?!"

"Tony's been working on that," Natasha replied, "but he won't be able to really do anything until we dock."

Sighing, I said "Whatever, let's just get this over with."

Natasha opened up the comms. "Commander Natasha Shepard, Lieutenant-Commander Steven Shepard, and Michael Anderson, reporting in."

_"Commander, thanks for answering. This is Admiral Hackett. Something uncomfortable has just come up."_

_Oh, man, I know where this is going._

_"In the Second Contact War, we fired a lot of espionage probes into turian space. We've just received a 'mission complete' burst from one of them."_

"But that was decades ago," Steve said with suspicion. "Where's it been in the meantime?"

 _"No idea,"_  Hackett replied.  _"Lost in transit. These probes were built in a hurry when the turians started attacking."_

"I think I might already have a good idea," I started, "but what makes this 'uncomfortable?'"

_"When these probes were launched, we didn't want to risk our enemy examining our technology. The probe has a demo nuke built into it. A 20 kiloton tactical fusion warhead. About equal to the bomb dropped on Hiroshima back in the 20th. If somebody finds that probe, tampers with it...you don't need me to finish."_

Natasha facepalmed. "So, you want us to go in and clean up the brass' mess? Just because we saved Eden Prime doesn't make us experts on nuclear munitions. Why can't you send in a bomb squad, instead?"

 _"Because the situation is delicate, Commader. The Council would call fusion bomb booby traps 'dangerous and irresponsible.' The Alliance would face censure if they find this probe. I'm asking you and your team to do this because the_  Normandy  _can get on site quickly and quietly. Its in the Voyager Cluster."_

Natasha grew confused at that. "Uh, that's on the other side of turian space, isn't it?"

_"Correct. We don't know **how**  it got there. Its possible someone found it and brought it safely over there. It also could've just gotten badly lost, wandering the relay network since the war."_

"We'll get on it, sir," I said. "And we'll try to be discreet about it."

"I appreciate that, son. Sending you the coordinates now. Good luck. Fifth Fleet out."

As soon as the call ended, Steve called out "Joker, get us to those coordinates. We need to get this done quickly and quietly."

_"Aye Aye, sir."_

* * *

About a few hours later, we arrived at Agebinium. We headed down to the cargo hold, where the rest of the team were waiting. "Okay, here's the rundown," I started. "We're here to find an old Alliance espionage probe that's not supposed to be here. According to Alliance command, its carrying a 20 kiloton nuclear payload. So we should probably make sure that doesn't go off."

"Wait, did you say  **nuclear?"**  Garrus asked in surprise. "Why would the Alliance-"

"The Relay 314 incident," I interrupted. He was a bit surprised that I referred to it as the rest of the galaxy did, but he nodded in understanding.

"Thing is, though," Steve continued, "we think someone may have moved it here on purpose, so it could be a trap. That's why we're only sending a small team to the site, while the rest stays here as backup."

"So who's on the away team?"

"Michael and I will be leading it-" Natasha said.

"Wait,  **what?"**

"With Tali, Garrus, Marie, Ashley, Arcee, and Legion going in alongside us. That way, all of us together ought to have a chance at disarming the bomb."

Wrex nodded. "Makes sense. More braniacs working on it, the faster it can get shut down."

"Why do  **I**  have to be on this mission, though?" I asked.

"In case we run into trouble," she responded immediately. "Its always best to have a meat shield that can destroy a tank with a sword slash."

"...You're a bitch. You know that, right?"

"And proud of it. Now get your ass in the Grizzly."

Oh yeah, I nearly forgot. Two days ago, we received an M-29 Grizzly tank from a nearby Alliance fleet. I guess it was repayment for saving Eden Prime from whatever Omega had planned for it. Either way, everyone was happy about having more room to sit in.

Plus, there's no jump jets on the thing. Meaning neither Steve of Natasha can pull off anymore crazy stunts with them.

"You'll be fine, Michael," Kaidan said as he patted me on the back.  _"What could possibly go wrong?"_

At that point, several things occurred throughout the galaxy: birds on different plants fell to the ground dead. An entire field of flowers on Thessia wilted and died. Kasumi Goto's cloaking device fizzled out and left her exposed in the middle of a room filled with enemy guards (she got away with her prize unscathed, though). And on the  _Normandy_ , several figures (myself, Arcee, Tali, Roman, Emerald, Malak, Ashley, Bronson, Tony, John, Cortana, Marie, and Masamune (unseen by everyone except me)) stared at Kaidan in blatant horror, as though he had admitted to carrying a fatal, contagious disease.

At that point, there was only one thing I could do: scream out a stream of profanities, all while storming around the cargo hold in anger and fear.

"What did I say?" Kaidan asked in slight concern. Something the rest of the crew shared.

"Kaidan," I breathed heavily, "listen to me. Under  **NO**  circumstances-  **NONE!** \- must you  **EVER**  say what you just did. Because anything that  **CAN**  go wrong,  **WILL**  go wrong!"

"I fucking  **hate**  Murphy's Law," Roman muttered.

"We all do, Torchwick," Ashley said with sorrow. "We all do."

"Oh, that's a load of crap," Wrex argued. "There's no way things could go wrong from saying something like that."

* * *

_Hours later..._

* * *

Everyone was staring at Wrex, as though he were an idiot proven wrong.

"Not...one...word," the krogan Battlemaster growled out between his teeth. He quietly added "Stupid Murphy's Law."

Oh yeah, he knew he was never going to live this down.

* * *

_Now..._

* * *

Sighing, I resigned myself to inevitable. "Let's just get this over with. The sooner we turn off the bomb, the sooner we can get away from here."

Everyone else nodded in agreement, and the away team loaded into the  _Grizzly._

And prayed we didn't die down there.

* * *

We landed on the surface, about a few miles away from where the probe was supposed to be. Before we could head out, though, Natasha told us to help here with the  _Grizzly._  "What good is having a bitching tank if it goes kaput on its first us?" were here exact words.

So, we then spent the better part of half an hour working on the tank. Why she decided to do so now instead of back on the Normandy is beyond me.

Ashley was with Legion down below, making sure that nothing would pop out while we were driving. Up on the top, I was helping Garrus calibrate the main gun, chuckling at the thought of his favorite past time with the crew. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing." Getting back to work, "It's just, it seems like calibrating stuff seems to be your thing. You know, apart from being a badass sniper."

Chuckling, he replied "Yeah, you can blame my father for that. He taught me how to calibrate weaponry to perfection. Along with a few tricks, as well."

"Sounds like a nice guy. Was he in C-SEC, too?"

"Yeah, he's actually the reason I joined in the first place." Behind his helmet, he gained a downcast expression. "He must be taking my resignation pretty hard."

I could understand that. The man was C-SEC to the bone, believing that you need to do the job right, or to not do it at all. Patting Garrus on the back, I said "Don't worry about it too much, buddy. I'm sure he'll understand  **why**  you left. Just...try to downplay the whole 'no need to worry about red tape' part, and you ought to be fine. I hope."

With a sigh, he said "I hope you're right...So, what do you think the girls are talking about in there?"

"Hopefully, not me."

* * *

_Natasha's POV:_

* * *

"So, you two and Michael, eh? Didn't think you'd agree to share."

Yeah, there was more to my reasoning to wait and fix the tank before heading out. Well, the reason I gave was half the truth. The other half was to get Tali and Arcee to talk with Marie.

Ever since she joined the crew, she was shown to have a huge crush on Michael. Tony and John explained that at first, she saw Michael and thought he was a guardian angel sent from God to save them. But then she got proper sleep and nutrition, and started seeing him as more of a protector than an angel. Tony said she still blushes from embarrassment whenever someone reminds her of that.

During their time getting back to civilization and away from the Dark Hand, the group bonded with Michael, Garrus, and Rika. They laughed, they fought  **others** , they fought with  **each other.**  But they pretty much formed a tight-nit group. Marie was shown to have gotten along especially well with Michael, and was devastated when she heard he had supposedly died.

She thought she would be able to move on eventually. But as time went on, she apparently couldn't stop thinking about him. Then, according to the others, she started having dreams of him. It was driving her crazy, and Tony had an explanation: Marie was head over heels in love with Michael, and was one of the girls he was in a relationship with. Natasha believed that Marie was both jealous and heartbroken upon hearing he was with three other girls, and compounded with Michael's amnesia, she assumed Marie believed that she didn't have a chance with Michael.

_'If my plan works, though, she may get her wish.'_

"Uh, yeah," Tali said. "I wasn't exactly too thrilled at the idea of sharing a guy I fell for with someone else. Even **less**  at the idea of sharing with more than one woman." Sighing, she continued. "But the man we're sharing...he's worth it."

Nodding, I asked "You feel the same, Arcee?"

"Widow, you're talking to a girl who's sharing her boyfriend with over eighty other women. I think I'm okay with sharing with Tali."

"...Right. Guess I should've remembered that bit." Turning my attention to Marie, I said "So you should have no problem sharing with Rogue, too."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at me "Wait, what?" was the unified response.

"Oh come on, Rogue. It's pretty freaking obvious that you're still in love with him. Way I see it, you can get back together with him, they can be with him, he gets some amazing girls to be with, and the crew doesn't have to deal with sexual tension. Everybody wins."

Yeah, if my last comment left them shocked before, then that one left their jaws crashing to the ground. I knew I had a tendency to be blunt, but I hated when people just beat around the bush. "Wh- I-I-I you..." Sighing in defeat, Marie asked "How'd ya know?"

"Tony told me."

"Ah'm gonna throttle that guy."

"Pretty sure there's a line a lightyear long. For now, I'd suggest you three work out your little love problem. I, in the meantime, am going up top to help Garrus with the gun. Later!"

Exiting the Grizzly, I thought to myself ' _Here goes everything.'_

* * *

_Third Person POV:_

* * *

To say the atmosphere had gotten pretty tense would be an understatement. Arcee, Tali, and Marie were left sitting across from each other, awkwardly trying to figure out what to say next.

"Sooooo..." Arcee said as Marie sighed.

"Yep," she responded. Awkwardly, I might add.

"Wow, I never knew you liked Michael, Rogue," Tali said as Marie nodded her head.

"More than that," she said with embarrassment as she put her hands on her visor. "Ah'm...one of the girls he was in a relationship with."

That shocked Tali immensely. Looking to her co-lover, Arcee nodded in the positive, indicating that Marie was telling the truth. Deciding to break the ice a bit more, Tali asked "Um, if I might ask...when did it start?"

Rogue stayed silent for a moment before answering. "If Ah had ta be honest...Ah'd say it was the day we first met. Mah powers had jus' started ta manifest, and Ah was scared and confused. Everyone was fightin' over who got me ta join their side. But not Michael. All he cared about was keepin' me safe.

"After that, he was one o' th' only people I really let get close ta me. We became good friends by that point. We laughed, we fought...an' boy, could I fight." She chuckled a bit at that, causing the two other females to sweat drop at the sight. Regaining composure, Marie continued "Eventually, Ah started ta see him as more than a good friend...Ah started ta see him as a man. A man that was kind, thoughtful, stubborn in his beliefs, an' unwillin' ta let anyone choose his path in life. Someone who wouldn't stand ta see injustice, and fought to protect others.

"Soon enough, Ah realized that Ah fell head over heels in love wit' him," she said as she smiled behind her mask. "An' you could only imagine the joy Ah felt when he told me that he loved me back."

Tali and Arcee smiled at that. "Oh, trust me," the latter said, "we have a good idea."

Chuckling a bit, Marie slouched in a melancholy position. "But years later, he disappeared for a year...and when Ah finally find him, he can't even remember what we shared. Ah still loved him with all mah heart and soul, but Ah wasn't sure if he still felt the same. So, Ah stayed quiet about it," she said quietly as Arcee and Tali looked at each other.

Rogue then reached for her visor and a hiss was heard as she took it off. What Tali and Arcee saw was a pale girl with auburn hair with the whole front of her bangs streaked white. Black lipstick covered her lips. Her grey eyes showed she was unsure of what to do. "But now you both know about it, so...what happens now?" she asked as Arcee and Tali looked at each other. Then they nodded their heads as they looked at her.

"Well, I'm still shocked that you love Michael," Tali said, "but Arcee seems to trust you, so we're going to need to think about it. We'll let you know our answer after the mission."

"However," Arcee added playfully, "seeing as how much Michael was staring at your ass in that suit, I'd say your odds are pretty good that he'll fall for you all over again."

Rogue blushed heavily upon hearing that. While secretly happy that Michael was giving her attention- especially to his one of his favorite parts of her body- she was still embarrassed at hearing that. Still, if it meant she might regain the man she loved, she'd let it slide.

***THUMPTHUMP***

"Hey! You three still decent in there?" Natasha asked from outside.

Placing her mask back on, Rogue got up and opened the door. "Come on in, we jus' tidied up the place."

After everyone got in, Michael took his place at the driver's seat. He was voted to be our driver whenever he's on one of the missions, as he is literally the best driver amongst the three human SPECTREs. "Okay everyone," he said as he started the engines. "Let's shut that bomb down!"

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

A while later, we arrived at the site where the probe was located: an old abandoned mine.

"Mineshaft," Ashley commented. "That's the source of the signal."

 _We have run multiple scenarios,"_  Legion said.  _"We conclude that this is a trap."  
_

"Yeah," Ashley agreed, though I could tell she found herself surprised she was agreeing with a geth. "This probe didn't  **crash** , someone moved it here."

"Still, Warrior, they may not know what they have," Garrus added. "Either way, we need to shut off before these guys set it off."

"Agreed," Natasha nodded. "Check your corners and watch your back."

As soon as we entered the mineshaft, we were greeted with a cacophony of musty smells that managed to get through our helmets. Gagging, I exclaimed "Oh dear God, what is that  **stank?!"**

Natasha winced. "This place must not be used too much."

Trying our best to ignore the smells (except Legion, who didn't need to worry about it being as he lacked a sense of smell), we made our way further and further into the mine. It was dark, musky, and had tons of mold. The floor was wet and slippery, making it somewhat difficult to walk around. The place was also filled with crates and containers, most of it obviously stolen.

"Looks like this is a hideout," Arcee observed. "Either for smugglers, or pirates."

Nervously fidgeting, Marie said "Either way, Ah don't think we should stay here too long."

We came up to two doors at the end of the room. One of them were sealed shut (indicated by a red light), but the other was unlocked. It was assumed that was where the probe was, as we went through the entryway and came into a small room. Laying in a corner on the other side of the room was the probe.

"Alright," Tali said as we walked up to it, "now let's turn it off before-"

**BOOM!**

An explosion rocked the mine, sending bits of rock and dust onto the ground. After regaining our balance, Ashley yelled out  **"What the Hell?!"**

Coughing, I said "That was a detonation blast. Someone just blew our way out."

Suddenly, a holographic form flicked into existence. The figure was a turian, and he looked pretty smug as he gazed at us.  _"Michael Anderson. At last."_

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, I took of my helmet and asked "Have we met?"

 _"You don't remember me."_  Chuckling, the figure said  _"No matter. I remember you. I never forget anyone I've fought. Especially you. **The Dragon of Elysium**  is rather hard to forget, after all."_

Upon saying that, everyone in the room stared at me in complete and utter shock. "Uh, what did you say?" I asked honestly.

Ignoring me, the turian continued  _"My name is Elanos Haliat. I doubt you'd know it. Tell me, ho do you think runs the Terminus Clans, Anderson, hmm? Thousands of pirates? Slavers? Criminals of every stripe?"_

Knowing the answer, I replied "In most criminal organizations, it's the one whose recognized as the most successful."

 _"That's correct,"_  the pirate complimented.  _"The one who kills the most men; seizes the most ships; pillages the most colonies. Seven years ago, **I**  was the strongest. I used my influence to assemble a fleet. We would drive your kind out of the Verge."_

Stepping forward in anger, Ashley exclaimed "It was  **you?! You're**  the one behind the attack on Elysium?!"

"Too bad we kicked your asses back into the Terminus Systems, huh?" Natasha asked smugly.

"Uh, Shepard?" Garrus asked quietly. "I don't think this is the best time to act smug."

 _"I was the **motivator,**  the  **instigator,"**_  Haliat admitted.  _"The one who promised glory and riches for sacking the largest human colony in the cluster. The one blamed when it failed. **Failed!"**_  With venom, he said to me  _"Failed because of **you!**  You and your damnable holding action! I was ruined when you drove back my forces!"_ Regaining his composure, he added  _"And now, I can have my revenge and regain my honor, as the one who slayed the 'Dragon!' And killing one of the galaxy-renowned Shepard siblings will be a good reputation booster as well."_

"You really think you can get away with this, Haliat?" I asked. "There won't be a rock in the galaxy where you can't hide from us."

"Besides, we can just call in the  _Normandy_  on your ass," Arcee added. "See how you hold up then."

 _"Aaahhh, let them come, we'll be ready for them. And an Alliance warship would make a fine spoil of war!"_  Sarcastically, Haliat taunted  _"Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, the ores in the mines are laced with heavy metals. I'm afraid your suit radios aren't powerful enough to transmit out."_

Natasha growled. "You'll see us again soon, Haliat. Count on it!"

He chuckled.  _"I doubt it. Good bye, Michael Anderson."_  And with that, his form flickered out of existence.

"Great, now what do we do?" asked Marie.

"We find a way out," I said. "There's someone outside this mine who sorely needs my boot up his ass."

"Well, at least we have enough time to find a way out," Tali commented.

**_Beep. Beep. Beep._ **

Turning our attention to the probe, we saw a holographic clock turn on and begin counting down. We had less than a minute before it went off.

**0:48**

_"We believe our time has been severely lessened, Creator Zorah."_

"Hell," Natasha groaned. Then she, Legion, Garrus, Tali, and Rogue ran to the probe, frantically trying to shut it off. "Legion, what's it like on your end?!"

_"Several layers of firewalls detected. Attempts to hack severely weakened."_

**0:33**

"Not much luck on my end, either," Garrus commented with a bit of tiredness (due to Marie using her power to gain his abilities). "Every time I manage to crack one lock, another pops up."

**0:21**

Tali recoiled, her geth arm sparking as she pulled it from a port.  **"Bosh'tet!**  This thing's actively resisting my technopathy!"

"Resisting?!" I yelled. "How the Hell could it be  **resisting?!"**

"I don't know!" she cried out. "It's like there's something else in there, fighting off my influence! Like there's a...Keelah... **THOSE BOSH'TETS PUT A DETONATION V.I. IN HERE! IT'LL BLOW NO MATTER WHAT WE DO!"**

Throwing her hands up, Ashley said  **"Oh that's just great!"**

**0:11**

Time began to slow down. I couldn't believe that this was happening. We were going to die, trapped in a caved in mine with a nuclear bomb.

And we couldn't do anything to stop it.

**0:09**

Then I began to rage.

Rage at Haliat, whose fault it was we were even here to begin with.

Rage that we were going to die, with no way out.

Rage that I couldn't do anything to stop this.

And lastly...

Rage that I was going to die...without telling Marie that I loved her.

I didn't admit it to anyone yet (not even Arcee, Emerald, or Tali), but ever since I got  _Masamune,_  a lot of the aches and pains I got were from regaining certain memories. Those memories, happened to be ones that revealed my past relationship with Marie, all the way to the beginning.

During our time together, I learned so much about her. How her life changed when she first gained her powers. Her longing to touch others without hurting them, and be able to be intimate with others. How she crushed on Scott Summers, and disliked Jean Grey for pretty much being her polar opposite. How she was rebellious, a bit cynical, and reclusive, yet insecure about herself.

And then I remembered more.

I was one of the first true friends for her, one of the first people who accepted her despite her power (or curse, as she'd call it). I was there for her for so long, as a safe port for her. I shared so many moments together. We laughed, we cried, we fought. And boy, could she fight. I was there when we shared our first touch, our first kiss...

And most importantly, I remembered that she was one of the women I had fallen for. One of the women Arcee told me about. Someone close to my heart. I perfectly remembered our first date, and every one after it. I remembered dancing with her under a moonlit night. I even remembered...our first time together.

And now, I was going to die without telling her that I remembered all of it, because I was too afraid that she had moved on.

_'Huh, it's just like Teddy Roosevelt once said: "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat."_

_'Well, Teddy, I think my twilight's about to become an eternal night.'_

**0:04**

Suddenly, everything went black. Everything except me.

I found myself in the middle of nothingness. Not a single light to be seen or sound to be heard. It was like I had gone blind and deaf at the same time. And to tell the truth, it frightened me.

Then I heard a voice.

I couldn't make out what it was saying at first. It felt warm, though. As though someone were joyously greeting an old friend.

After what seemed like minutes had passed, the voice became clear.

_**"You do not wish to die yet, I hope?"** _

Spinning around, I found myself face to face with a gigantic white dragon- with antlers, yellow eyes, angelic-looking wings, hair reaching from the top of its head to its tail, and even a beard- with its head right in front of me. I did the only thing I  **could**  do in this situation.

Scream my freaking head off.

When I finished, the flaming dragon was just staring at me with a bemused expression.  ** _"Are you done?"_**

"...I think so."

**_"Good. Because I don't really have much time. The connection is weak, and it'll only stay open for a short while."_ **

Confused (yet a little scared), I asked "What? What are you-"

_**"You need power."** _

I was stunned silent by that. ** _"As you are right now, you're barely superhuman. A mere fraction of the power you once wielded. You need to become stronger, partner. Stronger than anything this realm can throw at you. Strong enough to become something...MORE."_**

The fire then reached out and extended a burning talon toward my chest. A smaller ball of light, half the size of my head, came from the talon and into my grasp. Surprisingly, it felt warm in my hands. If anything, it felt like it was healing me. Looking at the white dragon, I asked "What do I do with this?"

 ** _"Place it on your chest. It will take over from there."_**  Suddenly, the dragon began to shine even brighter than before.  ** _"Well, this is good by for now, partner. Until we meet again."_**

"Hey, wait-" By the time the words left my lips, it was gone. Looking around, I could tell there wasn't going to be anything else coming to say hello, so I turned my attention to the light in my hands. I admit, I was nervous at the time. But I figured that I didn't have anything to lose, so I placed it onto my chest.

And then I burned.

**"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-"**

**0:01**

* * *

_Third-Person POV:_

* * *

An enormous explosion rocked the earth as Elanos Haliat stood near the mountains that held the mine. The mine that he believed would serve as the tomb for Michael Anderson, the Dragon of Elysium.

Haliat could still remember that day seven years ago. He and his forces had recently been granted permission by Aria T'Loak, the Queen of Omega, to conduct a raid against the Alliance colony of Elysium. He believed it would serve as his biggest success yet, as it would be filled to the brim with valuables, slaves, product, and "product" to sell on the market. Nothing could go wrong, he believed.

But everything did go wrong.

The inhabitants were being pushed back by the raiders, taking shelter in the city. He smiled at the sight. There was only one way in and out of that city, and it was a gigantic bridge across a practically bottomless ravine. They were "sitting ducks," as the humans would say.

But then he appeared.

A lone human male, wearing strange garments, stood in the middle of the bridge. He had an Earth sword- a Japanese chokuto, as he recalled- strapped to his back. His form was covered by a white, hooded coat. His eyes, though unseen behind a mask, blazed with fury at the raiders.

Then the man drew his sword and slashed a horizontal line across the middle of the bridge.  _"I am Michael Anderson,"_  the figure said.  _"And as long as I draw breath, none shall set one foot across this line."_

And what infuriated Haliat the most...was that the human was  **right.**

He fought like a beast, slashing and slicing everyone and everything that came at him. When they ran up to beat him down, he cut them to ribbons. When they began firing at him, he swiped his blade and threw back every shot. When artillery was brought in, they couldn't even scratch him before they were destroyed. Not even biotics could knock him down. They even resorted to mass accelerator rounds.

But nothing worked.

Eventually, the raiders brought in their secret weapons: a pack of captured yahg, hopped up on red sand to attack everything in front of them. They set them loose on the warrior, and sat back to watch the carnage. And there was  **plenty**  of carnage.

But it was the yahgs that were slain.

The warrior, before the yahgs could reach him, he used his sword and slashed them to bits. He then proceeded to erupt into a blinding light and burn the remains to ashes. And then he burned the ashes.

At the sight of that, every raider froze in horror, while the people in the city looked on in awe. Suddenly, the man before them had grown wings similar to one of Earth's angels; his hands became talons, holding a sword that shone with a light that coated its wielder; he had even grown a tail, which only added to his appearance!

And then he roared, the very sound like a beast about to strike.

The raiders charged all at once, believing that they could overwhelm him with sheer numbers. But even then, they were reduced to embers amongst the Elysian winds.

Enough slavers to make up an armada came to Elysium. 90% of them were decimated in minutes. When only enough raiders to fill a single ship remained, they finally retreated. They only managed to barely escape before the Alliance could arrive.

Three things happened after that debacle.

First, Haliat lost everything. His prestige, his reputation, his influence.  **Everything.**

Second, word spread across the Terminus that Michael Anderson had personally went to Omega and threatened Aria with tenfold retaliation if she ever backed anything like that again. After that, she washed her hands of anything regarding slavery and people trafficking.

Rumor has it that to this day, she slept with a Carnifex under her pillow.

Thirdly, the people of Elysium celebrated Michael Anderson as a champion of the people. They even adopted a saying as they constructed a new monument in the town square:

_All who come with ill intent, surrender now; For the Dragon never will._

The Dragon of Elysium. That's what they began to call him. A mighty beast in the form of a warrior, one who would never stop fighting as long as he drew breath.

 _'But today,'_  thought Haliat,  _'the Dragon has finally died. I suppose I should collect that bounty from this Dark Hand group now.'_

But those thoughts were immediately dashed as something burst from the mountain. Something that haunted his nightmares every night.

The Dragon had been angered. And it sought blood.

* * *

_Michael's POV:_

* * *

"Ah think he's wakin' up."

"You said that a few minutes ago, and-"

"Actually, Commander, he really is."

"...Shut up."

When I finally came to, I found myself back in the  _Grizzly._  Everyone was looking down on me as I l was lying on the ground. Groaning as I got up, I asked "What happened?"

Everyone glanced at each other before Ashley decided to speak up. "A few second before the bomb went off, you- I shit you not-  **combusted**  into flames. You scared the shit out of us when you did that."

"The screamin' didn't help, either," Marie said with concern.

The others nodded in agreement. "After that, the flames literally shielded us from the blast," Ashley continued, "before you blew a hole right through the mines and got us out of that tomb."

"After we got out," Garrus added, "you fell unconscious just as we landed near where Haliat and his men were camped. I don't think they were expecting us to get out alive."

I chuckled a bit at that. "I bet...so, is Haliat...?"

"Dead," Natasha confirmed. "Ashley, Garrus, and I got in the  _Grizzly_  and killed the pirates while the others pulled your ass into here. Elanos Haliat isn't going to bother anyone else anymore."

I sighed a bit at hearing that. Truth be told, I would've preferred we take him alive so he could answer for what he did. But now, I can only hope he gets what's coming to him in the next life. "Well, good riddance to bad-"

_"SPECTRE-Michael? We have an inquiry."_

Looking at Legion, I shrugged and said "Go for it."

Extending his petals, Legion asked  _"...Why have you irises turned bright yellow? And why have your pupils become similar to reptilian slits?"_

...

...

...

"...What?"

Arcee scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, after we got you in the tank, we noticed some stuff happen to your body. Your eyes are just one of the changes."

 **"One**  of them?!" I asked incredulously. "What else happened?!"

"Your canines elongated into fangs," Garrus said.

...

...

...

* * *

_Third-Person POV: Normandy, hours later..._

* * *

"Did you really have to faint at that?" Kaidan asked (in a slightly mocking tone) as Bronson, Wrex, Roman, Rika, Natasha, Cortana, and Tony laughed their asses off. Michael was blushing heavily, trying to his best to ignore them.

"Oh yeah, laugh it up, Mr. 'I-Jinxed-My Teammates,' laugh it up." Now it was Kaidan's turn to look embarrassed, as he remembered what he had said before the mission. Remembering that, everyone silently swore to themselves that anything along the lines of  _"what could possibly go wrong?"_  were now considered taboo.

_*ringringring*_

Looking down at his Omni-tool, Steve opened it up and asked "Hello?"

_"Good call tabooing those words, dude. Just remember, others who don't know may very well say them."_

Recoiling in shock, he asked "Wait, what? Who is this?! How did you-"

 _"Well, see you in a later arc. I'll give you some calls till then. **PEACE OUT, BITCHES! YOLO!"**_  And with that, the call ended.

...

...

...

"...Let's all just forget that ever happened," Steve finally said.

Everyone nodded and said "Agreed."

"Well, meeting adjourned, guys," Michael said. "Let's call it a day."

As soon as he said that, everyone else got up to leave except him. He was too busy using a mirror he had on hand to check my new features. Sure enough, his irises were a bright yellow that seemed to glow like fire, with pupils in the form of slits. Michael's new-found fangs weren't too bad, but they were noticeable when he grinned.

He found that he also apparently had a small amount of scales on the sides of his neck, which were a light red. Sighing, Michael thought  _I swear, if I didn't know any better I'd swear I was actually part dragon._

_..._

_..._

_...Oh my God, that fire turned me part dragon. **Son of a-**_

"Ya gonna stay in here all day?" Marie asked playfully.

Turning his attention to her as she walked back in, Michael simply said "Just trying to get myself used to my new...additions. I can hide the scales and eyes easily enough, but I'm gonna have to watch myself when I smile. Last thing I need is someone hauling me off for study."

Giggling a bit- which oddly enough got his heart pumping a bit- she said "Well, in mah opinion, you look sexier than ever."

Michael blushed a bit at that. "Thanks...but, uh where did that come from?"

She fell silent for a moment, then walked up to him. She reached up to take off her helmet, revealing a beautiful pale face, framed by dark brown hair with the entire front streaked white. Pursing her lips, colored black with lipstick, she looked Michael in the eyes- her own filled with what could only be described as passion- before she said "Oh, the Hell with it." She then dove towards him, locking her lips with his as she embraced him.

To say he was shocked would be an understatement. He was so shocked, his body couldn't process what was happening for a minute. When it finally did, he realized that Marie- a girl he had fallen for, and still had feelings for- was kissing him. Quite passionately, too. Slowly closing his eyes, Michael brought his arms up to embrace Marie as they continued to kiss. Eventually, they had to break apart to breathe. Something they both found regrettable at the moment.

After gasping for air, Michael only had one thing to say.

"...Wow," he said softly.

Blushing heavily and smiling, Marie said "Yeah, wow." Embarrassed, she said "Ah'm sorry, it's jus'...Ah've wanted ta do that for so long, and Ah-"

He cut her off with another kiss, ending any further attempts at talking for the moment. Separating once more, Michael said with a smile "Trust me, the feeling's mutual." Leaning his forehead onto her's, he softly continued "I...I'm sorry I forgot, Marie. I'm sorry I put you and the others through all that hurt. And I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. But like I told Emerald, I'll never leave you again. That's a promise."

Marie smiled at him, eyes misty with tears of joy threatening to spill out. "Ah'm holdin' you ta that, Michael." Her gaze hardening a bit, she continued "An' if ya pull a stunt like that again, you're gonna  **wish**  ya died."

With a nervous chuckle, he said "I honestly believe you there. I just hope Tali is okay with this. Last thing I need is her beating the living crap out of me for this."

Laughing a bit, Marie said "Trust me, Ah think she'll be okay with this."

He followed her in their laughter, until a realization dawned on him. "Marie?"

"Yeah?"

"We just had quite a bit of skin contact, right?"

"Yeah, why ya askin'?" Then the same realization dawned on her as well.

They were having skin contact...and her powers weren't affecting him.

Michael was  **immune**  to her mutant power! That meant his powers really  **were**  returning! Which meant...

Normally, Marie would've decided to simply talk it out with her lover. But unfortunately for her (or fortunately, depending how you look at it), her mind was still spinning from her kiss with Michael. Because of that, her thoughts went somewhere else.

Somewhere more... **dirty.**

Her face, now sporting bedroom eyes and a slightly sultry smirk, Marie said "Well, Ah'm not gonna look a gift horse in th' mouth." Closing the distance some more, she added "An' Ah don' think you're gonna either."

Slightly confused- and a bit aroused by the closeness, as she was pressed against his chest- Michael asked "What do you-"

Their lips connected once again, with Marie's arms snaking around Michael's neck. Unknown to him, she was using this as a chance to activate her enviro-suit's Nerve-Stim Pro, causing her entire body to tingle from the humming vibrations. Lights danced in her eyes as she was coated in pleasure, causing her to drawl out "Oooooooh maaaaaah  **Gooooood!"**

Feeling the vibrations, Michael immediately realized what she had done...and his arousal spiked along with Marie's. A second later, the two locked lips again, only this time he had grabbed her pert ass while his tongue raked across her lips, begging for entrance. She opened her mouth, thus deepening the kiss as he continued to grope her well-shaped rear end.

"Hate to be  **that**  guy, Michael, but you should probably check in with Dr. Chakwas."

Marie and Michael whipped their heads to the side so fast, it was a miracle they didn't get whiplash. Standing in the entryway was Tony, acting as nonchalantly as one could when they walk into a room where a couple was about to have sex. "Seriously, she's looking all over for you. Something about wanting to see how your body's handling its new features."

"..."

"So, you should probably calm yourselves down a bit."

"..."

"Unless you want to go to her with an erection. Not gonna judge."

"..."

"Michael?"

Marie slowly removed herself from her new boyfriend as Michael calmly walked over to Tony. All while keeping his twitching gaze locked on him.

His cold, furious, twitching gaze.

* * *

In the pilot's seat, Joker shook his head as Michael and Marie continued their beatdown on Tony. Though he pitied the poor bastard, he knew Tony deserved it. After all, it's an unspoken rule amongst men:

**Don't. Cockblock. A Couple!**

Sighing, he continued to record the event as he activated the intercom and said "Dr. Chakwas, you may want to prep the med bay. Looks like you're going to have a patient to take care of soon."Turning to look at the beating again, he winced as he held his groin. "Ouch. That's gonna hurt in the morning." Shrugging, he continued "Couldn't he have at least let me record the fun before walking in?"

To his left, Kaidan stared at the pilot incredulously. "Really, Joker?"

"What? I have needs." Chuckling at the ass kicking Tony was getting, he then asked "Want to see the beatdown?"

...

...

...

...

...

...

"...Just send me the damn video."

* * *

_Scene Change:_

* * *

Back on Agebinium, two figures stood amongst the remains of what was once Haliat's pirate base. Both figures were human, a man and a woman. The man was wearing violet armor with green trim, while the woman wore orchid armor with green trim. "Man, I haven't seen him get this pissed in ages," the man commented.

"Yeah," the woman agreed. "He didn't even leave any remains behind. Only ashes."

This was true. There wasn't really anything left to signify the existence of the base; only charred remains of crates, the ruined carcass of a Grizzly, and the ashes of the pirates that inhabited the area.

"Wonder what caused Michael to do this?"

"Who knows? He's always been unreadable, ever since he first joined the program."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't do anything like  **this,"**  the man motioned to the remains, "without good reason."

"Or maybe he finally snapped."

They shuddered from the thought. "Geez, he was always wild before, and that was when he was sane. I really don't want to know what an **insane**  Michael is like."

"Probably more like Wade.  **Really**  hoping he's not more like Wade."

"I hear ya, sis." Turning around, he said "Come on, we gotta tell the others the good news: Michael really is alive and well."

Chuckling, the woman said "Right behind you, bro."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Preateritum Repetiit = The Past Revisited)
> 
> Well, all of that just happened.
> 
> Michael gained a new power (as well as having some of his past revealed), Rogue is pretty much in the harem now, the Normandy crew is hiding the fact that Michael was the one who killed the pirates, and a new party is tracking the whereabouts of Michael. The plot thickens even more.
> 
> Oh yeah, and in case no one noticed, the person who called Steve's Omni-tool was Wade Wilson, a.k.a. Marvel's very own Deadpool!
> 
> Anyway, until next time, ShepardisaBOSS says, leave a comment or review.
> 
> BUT ABSOLUTELY NO FLAMES!

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know, this was short. However, this was only meant to be the prologue. The story begins next chapter. And again, I know it starts off slow, but I hope you'll enjoy it.
> 
> To those of you who have read my other stories, then you figured out that this story chronologically takes place after all of them (as well as those that I haven't done yet), so this should give you a good idea as to what I've been doing up until this point. However, those stories serve as prequels to THIS story, just to let you know.
> 
> Anyway, please leave a comment or review. NO FLAMES!


End file.
